MidAmerican Energy Company today announced plans to build Wind XI, a project it said will add up to 2,000 megawatts of wind generation in Iowa, at a total project cost of $3.6 billion. The company called the announcement “a giant step toward realizing the company’s vision of 100 percent renewable energy for customers in the state.” The company said the project is the largest it has ever undertaken and is also the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Sen. Chuck Grassley is the author of the original production tax credit for electricity from wind and has successfully worked to renew the tax credit ever since. Late last year, he secured a long-term, five-year extension and phase-out of the tax credit, intended to give the industry certainty for investments and job creation. Grassley made the following comment on the announcement.
“Wind energy is having a banner year, and it’s only April. The potential for wind energy in Iowa and the nation looks endless. I’m grateful for the latest investment in the people of Iowa. The number of jobs in this industry continues to grow. There are more than 6,000 good wind jobs in Iowa. In addition to the direct jobs, wind energy is a selling point for tech companies that located to Iowa in part because they wanted to take advantage of wind energy. Clean energy appeals across the board. I hope the tax certainty enacted last year contributed to the announcement today and that it will encourage other projects in Iowa and across the country over the next five years.”
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Judiciary Committee Advances Bill Named After Iowa Boy; Bill Would Aid in Locating Alzheimer’s, Autism Patients
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced legislation to help families locate missing loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, autism or other related conditions. The legislation, titled Kevin and Avonte’s Law, reauthorizes the expired Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program, and includes additional provisions to support people with autism. Senator Charles Schumer of New York joined Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley in crafting the measure, which cleared the committee by a vote of 15-5.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law is named in honor of two boys with autism who died after their conditions caused them to wander. Nine year-old Kevin Curtis Wills, jumped into Iowa’s Raccoon River near a park and tragically drowned in 2008. Avonte Oquendo, 14, wandered away from his school and drowned in New York City’s East River in 2014.
“Stories of loved ones who wander away from safety because of a medical condition are all too common. Thankfully, with the help of trained first responders and a vigilant community, many of these stories can have a happy ending. Kevin and Avonte’s Law uses proven community alert systems and other technology to help locate people with Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of dementia as well as children with autism spectrum disorders who may be prone to wander away safety. It also helps to equip first responders and other community officials with the training necessary to better prevent and respond to these cases. This bill is an important way to honor the lives lost after wandering away, and to prevent future tragedies. I thank Sen. Schumer for working with me on this bill, and my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for moving it forward,” Grassley said.
Iowa has the fifth highest Alzheimer’s death rate in America, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, with 1,252 deaths in 2013. About 63,000 Iowans are living with the disease. More than 8,000 Iowa children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, according to a state coalition, and its prevalence is on the rise.
The bill reauthorizes existing programs designed to assist in locating Alzheimer ’s disease and dementia patients, and it adds new support for people with autism. It allows Justice Department grants to be used by state and local law enforcement agencies and nonprofits for education and training programs with the goal of proactively preventing individuals with these conditions from wandering off. The bill also provides access to resources for state and local agencies and organizations to assist in locating these individuals who become separated from their caregivers. The grants will facilitate the development of training and emergency protocols for school personnel, supply first responders with additional information and resources, and make local tracking technology programs available for individuals who may wander from safety because of their condition. Grant funding may also be used to establish or enhance notification and communications systems for the recovery of missing children with autism.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law is also cosponsored by senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Christopher Coons of Delaware and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
For more information on Kevin and Avonte’s Law, view the bill text and summary.
-30-Grassley Speaks at Central States Pension Holders Rally, Describes GAO Inquiry on Labor Department Role
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley today spoke at a rally of Central States pension fund holders at the U.S. Capitol. He described the Government Accountability Office (GAO) inquiry under way at his request. The inquiry will look at the Department of Labor’s role in the decline of the fund. The correspondence on the GAO review is available here.
Remarks of Sen. Chuck Grassley
Rally at the U.S. Capitol with Central States Pension Holders
Thursday, April 14, 2016
I want to thank you all for the invitation to visit with you. Most of you have received letters from Central States indicating your pension will be reduced by 50 percent or more. That would upset anybody. You work hard and play by all the rules, only to have the rug torn out from under you in what was supposed to be your secure retirement.
The fact that the law that permitted these benefit cuts was largely done behind closed doors only adds to the frustration and breeds cynicism. As one who has championed transparency in government, I say the public’s business must be public. I voted against the legislation cutting these pensions.
Many Iowans have brought to me concerns about Central States’ management and investment practices that I agree should be looked into. So in February, I requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation. My request focuses on the Department of Labor and its role under a court ordered consent decree to provide oversight of the fund, including as it relates to Central States investment decisions. GAO accepted my request, and I understand that they are proceeding.
All Central States plan beneficiaries deserve to have a better understanding of what led to the financial failings of Central States and ultimately put their retirement at risk. Your advocacy has helped get this GAO investigation off the ground.
After writing to GAO, I was contacted by several members of Congress asking to join my request. Other members have also sent their own letters indicating their support for the investigation. This outpouring of support from fellow members speaks volumes to the work you have done in getting the word out.
My hope is that with GAO’s help we will finally get to the bottom of what was going on with Central States and the Department of Labor’s role in the decline of the fund. Congress needs to have a better understanding of what happened with the Department of Labor’s oversight of this pension plan. If the Department of Labor was asleep at the switch, it must be held accountable.
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Senate Judiciary Committee Advances FBI Whistleblower Protection Bill
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced a bill introduced by Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy to improve the process for FBI employees who report fraud, waste or misconduct. The bipartisan FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act establishes key FBI whistleblower safeguards similar to the protections already in place at other federal law enforcement and civil service agencies. It also improves efficiency, oversight, and independence in the investigation and adjudication of employees’ claims of reprisal. The bill cleared the committee by voice vote.
“FBI employees have long faced vague and confusing rules for how to properly disclose problems because of the FBI’s unusual exemption from the normal whistleblower protections for other federal employees. The confusion and lack of an independent process has landed too many people in hot water for simply telling the truth. This bill provides a clear statutory process to enhance protections while streamlining the review of reprisal cases. Sen. Leahy and I have worked hard to improve the environment for whistleblowers at the FBI. With today’s vote in the Judiciary Committee, we are one step closer to ensuring FBI employees can raise the alarm when necessary without fear of backlash,” Grassley said.
“Senator Grassley and I both believe that whistleblowers play an essential role in providing transparency and accountability in the federal government. That is why we worked closely together to author the FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancements Act, which help protect FBI employees who report wrongdoing at the agency and shields them from unjust retaliation. We have heard of numerous instances in which FBI employees who report waste, fraud, or abuse were not afforded whistleblower protections. This has to change. I urge the Senate to pass our common-sense bill and protect those employees who dare to speak up and report concerns to their superiors,” Leahy said.
Unlike most other federal employees, FBI employees are not protected from reprisal when they disclose wrongdoing to their supervisors. Instead, Justice Department regulations require disclosures to be made to a limited group of senior officials even though FBI policy encourages employees to report to supervisors. As a result, FBI whistleblowers often make their initial disclosure to a supervisor, but have no legal protection in the event of retaliation. The FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act ensures that FBI employees and applicants who make disclosures to their supervisors are protected from retaliation. It also reiterates employees’ longstanding rights to communicate with Congress.
The bill increases the independence of FBI whistleblower investigations by establishing the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General as the sole body responsible for investigating claims of whistleblower retaliation and removing the responsibility from the department’s internal Office of Professional Responsibility. If the OIG determines a whistleblower has suffered a retaliatory personnel action for reporting wrongdoing, that punishment will be suspended pending adjudication of the case.
The bill shifts adjudication responsibilities from the Justice Department’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management to experienced administrative law judges. The appeals process would allow for an independent review by a U.S. Court of Appeals. The bill also requires the Justice Department to issue annual reports on the number and dispositions of whistleblower reprisal claims for the previous calendar year.
The Grassley-Leahy bill follows a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing and reports from the Government Accountability Office and the Justice Department on the challenges presented by the FBI’s current whistleblower response scheme. The reports and hearing highlighted the FBI’s inconsistent disclosure protocols, chronic delays in investigation and adjudication of retaliation and consistent failures to update whistleblowers on the status of their cases.
For more information on the FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, see the following supporting documents:
· Bill Text as amended in Committee
· Summary
-30-Senate Passes Grassley, Leahy Resolution Commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
WASHINGTON – The Senate last night passed a resolution introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, coinciding with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, to raise awareness about the unique needs of crime victims and their families who play an important role in the judicial process.
Each year, millions of Americans across the country tragically fall victim to more than 20 million crimes committed in the United States. These crimes can have a significant and damaging impact not only on the victims and their families, but also on entire communities.
Grassley and Leahy’s resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that victims and survivors of crime need and deserve support. The resolution also asserts that survivors of crimes are integral to ensuring justice and protecting communities when victims report crimes and bravely participate in the criminal justice process.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week represents more than three decades of collaboration between Congress, the Justice Department and communities across the nation to identify and address the many needs of crime victims, survivors and their families. The theme for this year’s event is “Serving Victims, Building Trust, Restoring Hope.” The resolution acknowledges that while much progress has been made toward accomplishing these goals, more needs to be done. In particular, the resolution states that the United States must empower victims and survivors by protecting their legal rights, providing support in the aftermath of crime and treating all victims and their families with dignity and respect.
To help ensure federal resources are being effectively used to meet crime victims’ needs, Grassley and Leahy are convening a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing next week to review the Crime Victims Fund. The fund was established in 1984 to support victim assistance grants and to help defray survivors’ crime-related expenses. The fund has undergone changes governing its revenue and disbursements over the years. The hearing will assess how those funds are being used.
This year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 10 – 16.
Full text of the resolution is available HERE.
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