Grassley: U.S. Military Academy Selects Four Iowa Students
WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said today that Garrett L. Dunn, Zachary J. Gilbert, Alexander Joseph Gudenkauf and Patrick Vicente Ramirez, have received appointments to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for the 2016-2017 school year.
“Students work very hard to earn this kind of opportunity. Admission to the service academies is highly competitive and a great honor. I’m proud that the U.S. Military Academy has selected four young Iowans,” Grassley said. “I wish Garrett, Zachary, Alexander and Patrick well and thank them for their commitment to serve our nation.”
Dunn is the son of Annette Bachman-Dunn and Mark Dunn of State Center. He will graduate in May from West Marshall High School. Dunn participated in football, wrestling, baseball and golf. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and the student council, where he served as vice president during his junior year and currently serves as president. Dunn is a volunteer for the Marshall County Emergency Management and the Meals on Wheels delivery team in addition to being a food and nutrition services worker for Central Iowa Healthcare. Dunn also enjoys sport shooting and motorcycle riding.
Gilbert is the son of Carol and Jeff Gilbert of Cedar Rapids. He will graduate from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids in May. Gilbert participated in the student senate, show choir, football and baseball. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Gilbert serves as an elementary school tutor and as a private in the Iowa Army National Guard. Gilbert also enjoys weightlifting, sport shooting, fishing and playing the guitar.
Gudenkauf is the son of Maria and Thomas Gudenkauf of Coralville. He will graduate in May from West High School in Iowa City. Gudenkauf participated in the student senate, show choir, math club, German club, football, baseball, track and swimming. He is also a member of the St. Thomas Moore Youth Group. Gudenkauf also enjoys photography and hunting.
Ramirez is the son of Lisa and Esteban Ramirez, of State Center and currently stationed in Germany. He will graduate in June from Vilseck High School in Germany. Ramirez served in the student council as vice president, president and student body president. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the Model U.S. Senate Student Board of Directors, the International Student Leadership Institute and the Student to Student Program. He plays violin in the orchestra and has participated in football, cross country, track and field and basketball. Ramirez has also volunteered with the Knights of Columbus.
Dunn, Gilbert, Gudenkauf and Ramirez were among the 41 Iowans Grassley nominated this year for appointments to the U.S. service academies. Upon receiving an appointment, the student then decides whether to attend the academy. Information about seeking nominations can be found on Grassley’s website.
For more than 200 years, these academies have educated and trained individuals to lead and command the U.S. armed forces.
-30-Permanent ban on state, local taxes on Internet access
Sen. Chuck Grassley has long been an original co-sponsor of legislation to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet. The Senate today gave final approval to the provision as part of a customs enforcement bill, approved on a vote of 75 to 20. The bill now heads to the President, who is expected to sign it. Grassley made the following comment on the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act.
“Most people agree that Internet access is something we want to encourage. Whether we use online access for work, education or recreation, we want the access, period. The more affordable Internet service is, the more people who will be able to get online. Making the state and local tax ban permanent is good news for consumers. It sends the message that a resource like the Internet ought to be available as widely as possible, and that taxes shouldn’t be a barrier.”
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IRS whistleblower office makes progress in fighting tax fraudSen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa drafted the 2006 provisions that improved the IRS whistleblower office to cut tax fraud. The IRS has released its whistleblower office’s Fiscal Year 2015 annual report to Congress. The report says that since 2007, whistleblower information has helped the IRS collect more than $3 billion in taxes that otherwise would have been lost to fraud, and the IRS has awarded more than $403 million to whistleblowers. Grassley made the following comment on the report.
“The uptick in awards paid out under the mandatory award program is good news. Whistleblowers have long been frustrated with the lack of awards, which may be part of the reason claims were down 17 percent from previous years. I hope the increase in awards will reverse this trend and send a signal of things to come. I also was glad to see positive statements about the program by the new director of the whistleblower office, as well as his effort to release this report in a much more timely manner than in previous years. The information about the whistleblower program is helpful for the public and for Congress in knowing how the whistleblower office is performing. I appreciate that the report adopted GAO recommendations that will make it easier for Congress and others to evaluate the program from year to year. But I’m concerned that it looks as if the IRS has dropped some of the more detailed information it provided before about how long it takes claims to move through each step of the process. That’s an important data point. Whistleblowers often put their livelihoods on the line to point out tax fraud, and they need assurances that the IRS will move their cases along as quickly as possible.”
The report is available here.
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The Administrative Leave Act of 2016
This week, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bipartisan bill I co-authored.
The Administrative Leave Act of 2016 would reduce federal paid administrative leave and in doing so, protect whistleblowers and taxpayer dollars.
Right now, there’s a Wild West environment among agencies on paid administrative leave.
Some agencies use it too much, and the taxpayers get short-changed.
The statutory and regulatory vacuum on the use of paid leave has contributed to this problem.
Congress stepped in with legislation to fill the void. Our bill puts strict limits on administrative leave.
It makes clear when other forms of paid leave are allowable and when employees should be on the job instead.
Paid leave shouldn’t be a crutch for management to avoid making tough personnel decisions or a club for wrongdoers to use against whistleblowers.
It’s also expensive.
Overall, in fiscal year 2014, seventeen agencies spent almost $80.6 million to place employees on paid administrative leave for one month or more.
Over time, paid leave costs billions of dollars.Video can be found here.
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Iowan Leonard Strand Approved by Senate to be Federal Judge for Northern District of Iowa
WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley said today that the nomination of Judge Leonard Strand of Sioux City to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Iowa was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 93-0.“Judge Strand’s integrity, legal acumen and appreciation for the Constitution will make him an exception judge in the Northern District. I have great respect for what he’s done over his career, both in private practice and as a magistrate judge. I appreciate my colleagues’ votes in favor of his nomination,” Grassley said.
Grassley recommended Strand, along with Judge Rebecca Ebinger who was confirmed by the Senate earlier this week, to the White House after an extensive effort by a Judicial Selection Commission that Grassley formed after two judges announced their intention to take senior status. The commission was comprised of highly qualified members of the Iowa legal community, and led by Cynthia Moser, a former Iowa State Bar Association president. The commission also included Richard Sapp, Jeffrey Goodman, Harlan D. Hockenberg and Adam Freed.
These lawyers spent hundreds of hours carefully reviewing applications and interviewing each of the 39 Iowans who submitted applications and sought consideration. Eleven applicants were then selected to participate in a lengthy second interview. The commission’s review included not only these interviews, but also a thorough study and examination of the applicants’ professional history, credentials, and qualifications. The commission then made recommendations to Grassley, who – in consultation with Senator Joni Ernst – reviewed the candidates and their qualifications before submitting his recommendations to the White House.
Strand currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in Sioux City for the Northern District of Iowa. He graduated first in his class from the College of Law at the University of Iowa and brings extensive experience in civil litigation from private practice in Cedar Rapids.
Today’s vote was held after an agreement in December between both the Republican and Democratic leaders that Ebinger and Strand would be two of five judicial nominees to be voted on before President’s Day. As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley helped lead the effort to reach the agreement.
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