Senator Chuck Grassley made the following statement on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on America.
"Every September 11 brings back a flood of memories, including how America stood strong while terrorists sought to destroy our way of life. Today we remember the horrific events and those who lost their lives that day, we honor the brave first responders who put their own lives on the line to help others, and we praise the sacrifices being made by our military men and women and their families who continue to fight those who want to do our country harm."Senators Concerned About Continued Delays for Public Safety Officer Survivors
WASHINGTON - As the United States remembers the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and honors the courageous first responders who ran toward the scene, Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, are expressing concern about continued delays in the Justice Department's processing of benefits for the survivors of public safety officers who die in the line of duty. The senators are pushing the department for an update on its efforts to process the backlog of claims.
In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason, the senators referenced a July 2015 inspector general report that found delays in processing claims for survivors were ongoing despite recommendations from a previous inspector general report and a 2009 Government Accountability Office report.
The inspector general found that the delays were caused in part by inadequate application guidance provided by the PSOB Office to applicants and the PSOB Office not adequately documenting the basis of its initial determinations.
As of June, surviving benefit claims from all 50 states in addition to Puerto Rico and Guam were pending and some claims had been pending for more than three years.Grassley Presses for Update on "Going Dark" Developments
WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is pressing the Justice Department to provide an update on recent legal developments regarding encryption technology.
In July, Grassley led a hearing in the Judiciary Committee to jump-start a conversation in the Senate about whether recent changes in the use of encryption technology have upset the balance between public safety and privacy by preventing law enforcement from obtaining evidence with court-authorized warrants in important national security and criminal investigations. Next week, the committee will also hold a hearing about reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The hearing will explore potential updates to the legal framework that protects email users and technology providers, including a "warrant for content" requirement, and the impact of those changes on the law enforcement community.
"The only way we're going to reach a resolution on encryption that protects national security and privacy is to have an open and honest conversation. That includes keeping Congress informed about what's going on," Grassley said.
Grassley's letter to Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates references a recent article in the New York Times that said the Justice Department allegedly sought and obtained a court order to require a technology company to turn over text messages between suspects in a case involving guns and drugs. According to the article, the department has not pursued the matter after the company said it could not comply because the messages were encrypted.
Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's letter. A signed copy can be found here.Senate Passes Bill to Help Individuals With Disabilities Set Up Special Needs Trusts
WASHINGTON - The Senate has passed bipartisan legislation from Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida and Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan to make it easier for individuals with disabilities to set up a special needs trust for themselves. Under current law, these individuals cannot set up such a trust. This bill fixes that discriminatory exclusion.
"Those who want and need to set up a trust to help pay for their care shouldn't have to jump through hoops to do it," Grassley said. "This bill allows individuals to act in their own interests with their own assets without having to rely on a family member or the courts."
"Going this extra step to help persons with special needs is the right thing to do," said Nelson.
"People with disabilities deserve to be treated with dignity, which includes having control of their own care," said Stabenow. "This bill will help individuals manage their own finances while still having access to critical benefits like Medicare."
The Senate passed the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act (S. 349) by unanimous consent this week. A companion bill is pending in the House of Representatives.
A special needs trust allows for a person with special needs to manage his or her assets without compromising access to certain government benefits, primarily Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To qualify for SSI, which helps low income people with special needs, an individual with personal assets greater than $2,000 is required to put those assets in a special needs trust. Under current law, the individual must rely on a parent, grandparent or the court to create such a trust. Court costs might consume assets that otherwise could be used for the individual's care, and family members might not be available. The bill removes the unfair burdens on individuals simply seeking to manage their own assets.
The Finance Committee passed the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act in June. Grassley, Nelson and Stabenow serve on the committee. Grassley is a senior member and former chairman.
-30-Iran deal debate takes on partisanship, despite bipartisan sentiment
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on the Senate procedural vote of 58 to 42 that fell short of cutting off a Democratic filibuster of a resolution to disapprove the Iran nuclear deal.
"Just a few months ago, in May, the Senate voted 98 to 1 for the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. The bill was bipartisan in sponsorship, and the vote to approve it was bipartisan. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to review the Iran deal on the merits. A few months later, the Democrats' desire to consider and vote on this agreement disappeared. The Senate's status as a deliberative body and a check and balance on the executive branch of government disappeared this afternoon. The Iran deal is bad for the national security of the United States and for that of our allies around the world. If anything needs scrutiny, it's the Iran deal. A lot of senators agree the deal is badly flawed. A bipartisan majority opposes it. The opposition to move to debate today was partisan, even though the opposition to the deal is not."Drug use survey shows disappointing results; marijuana use on the rise
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today made the following comment on the Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The survey shows illicit drug use is at a 13-year high. Overall drug use has increased from the past year, fueled mostly by an increase in marijuana use.
"It's disturbing to see yet more increases in illegal drug use. Unfortunately, it's not at all surprising that the recreational use of marijuana use is on the rise under an Administration that refuses to enforce federal law in this area and downplays the risks associated with using marijuana. Additionally, the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers is also driving this increase. We need to continue to look at ways to fight pain reliever over-prescription and abuse. The reinstatement of the federal drug take-back program, which I advocated, will help prevent the diversion of these drugs by teen-agers and others. Finally, methamphetamine use has remained steady throughout the nation, and the drug continues to be a problem in Iowa. Latest data indicate that meth labs are at an all-time low in Iowa, but treatment admissions are at an all-time high. This indicates that more meth is being trafficked into Iowa from other places, especially through the Southwest border. I'll continue to look at ways to prevent meth trafficking."
The survey results are available here.
