Q&A on the President's budget with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley                      

Q:        Will the President's budget be "dead on arrival" when it reaches the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday?

A:        It appears lawmakers from the President's own political party are set to mark "Do Not Resuscitate" on the proposal before it even crosses the legislative threshold.  In fact, the leadership in the U.S. Senate has abandoned even the pretense of producing a budget as required by law.  The head of the Senate Budget Committee announced last Friday that the panel on which I serve would not write a 2015 fiscal blueprint to avoid "relitigating" details of the two-year budget deal approved in December.  Seems like a cavalier attitude when we're talking about $1 trillion in discretionary funding that will operate government agencies, including those responsible for administering military, transportation and education dollars.  It's a slap in the face to taxpayers who foot the bill and who would face fines, penalties, liens and fees if they opted not to comply with federal tax laws.  Previews of the White House budget proposal suggest the President himself has abandoned any pretense of getting serious about putting America's fiscal house in order. And when the President pitches adding more projects and programs to the federal ledger, it may tempt lawmakers to take a bite at the shiny red apple.  But the reality is these programs would not only grow the size and scope of the federal government, they also would extend Uncle Sam's reach even deeper into taxpayers' pocketbooks.  Apples grow on trees; money doesn't.  It's reckless and irresponsible to continue lifting the lid on spending again, and again and again.  The President also has proposed to fix stagnant wages and joblessness in America by raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits. If only that would cure what ails the sluggish economy.  When the president talks about narrowing the wage gap and addressing income inequality, he's targeting the architecture of America's extraordinary system of free enterprise, productivity, innovation and economic mobility.  That's why it's so important to vet the tax and spending details of the federal budget.  What the President is selling as economic elixirs may bear negative side effects that the taxpaying public won't want to swallow.  Restoring fiscal discipline and demanding accountability for the way tax dollars are spent are a sorely needed reality check in Washington.  Economic growth is what drives the creation of good-paying jobs that will lift standards of living for people working hard to make ends meet.

Q:        What happens next?

A:        What the President proposes, the Congress disposes.  Despite the President's proclamation earlier this year to sidestep Congress, the legislative branch holds the purse strings and bears constitutional responsibility to write the laws of the land.  No doubt, the minority party in the U.S. Senate has an uphill climb.  That's because the majority party has shown time and again it is marching in lockstep with the White House, including the damaging decision to trample on the Senate's longstanding filibuster rules that protect the views of dissent in the greatest deliberative body in the world.  Enough is enough.   I'm not about to join the march to madness that allows America to tax, spend and borrow on the backs of generations yet to come.  With eight months to go before the midterm congressional elections, the White House seems more focused on scoring political points by pushing expansive health care and education entitlements and provoking divisive class and cultural issues rather than swallowing a dose of fiscal responsibility and tackling tax, immigration and entitlement reform to help grow the U.S. economy.  As millions of hardworking taxpayers file their tax returns in the six weeks remaining until April 15, I will continue working to hold the line on unbridled federal spending and regulatory overreach.  It's time to change the mindset that believes Washington knows best.

Quinn Administration Helped Lead Application and Funded Key Components That Will Make Digital Hub Possible

WASHINGTON - Governor Pat Quinn today joined President Barack Obama to formally announce that Illinois had won a new digital manufacturing hub, supported by funding from state and federal governments and corporate partners. The hub will have a far-reaching impact on jobs across many industries and benefit small businesses across the nation. The White House announced a $70 million Department of Defense award for the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, which UI Labs will operate in Chicago. The support from President Obama, coupled with $16 million from the Quinn Administration, gives the institute the necessary funds to build partnerships with manufacturers and strengthen Illinois' economic comeback.

"Illinois is at the forefront of a high-tech manufacturing revolution that will make our state the center of high-tech job creation," Governor Quinn said. "This first-of-its-kind digital hub will make companies more competitive and stronger by providing them with the most cutting edge tools and technologies. It will be the birthplace for innovations that will change the world in which we live, work and play."

Earlier support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDI. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative. Blue Waters is the core of the DMDI, the key engine to generate new design, simulation and testing innovations. Blue Waters set Illinois' application apart from the other contenders for DMDI.

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDI. The Governor brought key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

Last December, the Governor joined UI Labs in announcing $5 million in state funding to support the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, a key first step in DMDI's development that helps small- to mid-sized manufacturers across the state.

Governor Quinn's administration - working with UI Labs and World Business Chicago - assembled the broad support for DMDI and directed the application for federal funding. Both the state and city of Chicago are expected to have representation on the initiative's governing board. The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) - a member-driven not-for-profit that serves as the state's technology advisor - also assisted with the proposal.

"We put together a powerful proposal that demonstrated DMDI's value to the federal government and to job creation throughout a broad region of the country," Adam Pollet, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said. "We're going to change the face of American manufacturing and we're proud that our strategic investment in a public university is what set our application apart."

"The DMDI institute provides a strong platform to connect Illinois manufacturers with the newest digital tools and provide them the know-how to build things faster, better and cheaper than China and the rest of the world," Mark Harris, president and CEO of the ISTC said. "The vision of Governor Quinn and his leadership in connecting Illinois' world-class research, technology and manufacturing strengths around initiatives like the Illinois Manufacturing Lab were instrumental in positioning the state as the hub for this Presidential initiative."

The $320 million DMDI, with $70 million funding from the Department of Defense and $250 million from other public and private partners, will apply the newest technologies to help manufacturers try and use new innovations in digital manufacturing and design, with an emphasis on defense manufacturers. This will mean better products, faster production and lower costs for U.S. manufacturers. The $16 million state investment in DMDI includes the launch of the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, additional equipment and workforce training, and providing Illinois companies with the assistance they need to utilize the DMDI. The DMDI was made possible by a strong partnership between state, federal and city officials.

Measure Would Help Alleviate Poverty and Drive Economic Growth

WASHINGTON - Governor Pat Quinn today met with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and senior administration officials at the White House to discuss raising the federal and Illinois minimum wage rates. Governor Quinn's ongoing fight to raise Illinois' minimum wage is in line with President Obama's push to raise the federal minimum wage. The Governor first proposed raising the minimum wage in his 2013 State of the State address and today's meeting with the President is part of his agenda to alleviate poverty, drive economic growth and ensure that all Illinois workers are treated fairly.

"Hundreds of thousands of people across Illinois are working full time but are still trapped in poverty," Governor Quinn said. "Numerous studies have shown this common-sense proposal is good for workers and the economy. Raising the minimum wage is the right and decent thing to do and I thank President Obama for his leadership and commitment to getting this job done."

"Governor Quinn is doing extraordinary work in Illinois to lift their minimum wage and give more hard-working Americans a raise," President Obama said.

Today's meeting builds on growing momentum to raise the minimum wage across the country. Just this week, The Gap Inc. acted to raise its own minimum wage to $10 for all U.S. employees. The move is expected to impact 65,000 American workers and more than 4,000 employees in Illinois.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. President Obama is pushing to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10. The Governor is working to raise Illinois' minimum wage from its current $8.25 per hour to at least $10 per hour.

A full-time minimum wage worker in Illinois makes around $16,600 annually, which is well below the Federal Poverty Threshold of $19,790 for a family of three. Six in 10 minimum wage employees are female, including many single parents. The Governor supports raising the minimum wage over the next two years.

The $8.25 per hour Illinois minimum wage, which hasn't been increased since 2010, is less than half of the average U.S. hourly wage. By increasing the Illinois minimum wage to $10, a half-million Illinois consumers will make an extra $4,800 a year and much of that extra income will typically be spent at local businesses on food, clothing and furniture, providing a strong boost to the local economy.

Studies conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago show that an increase of $1 in the minimum wage generates approximately $2,800 in consumer spending per year, greatly improving purchasing power and strengthening the economy. A recent survey found that nearly two-thirds of small business owners support raising the federal minimum wage because they believe it will help the economy and, in turn, enable them to hire more workers, according to a poll conducted by the Small Business Majority. Leaders from large companies such as Costco, Starbucks and Stride Rite also have supported increasing the minimum wage as a way to reduce employee turnover and improve workers' productivity.

DES MOINES, IA (02/04/2014)(readMedia)-- The following local residents have been named to the Drake University President's List for the Fall 2013 semester. Students must have a perfect 4.0 grade-point average to receive this honor.

Beth Engel of Delmar

Megan Engel of Delmar

Sarah Lothspeich of Muscatine

Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 full-time undergraduate students and 1,900 graduate students from 49 states and 50 countries. Drake University's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.