Iowa’s congressional delegation, again in Washington after a two-week recess, targeted on the fundamentals: cash, gasoline and household.

However first, get pleasure from this tweet of Sen. Chuck Grassley’s prized vacuum:

Beth it’s Easter u and I’ve to work onerous to get this farm home prepared for the grassley gathering Sunday pic.twitter.com/ffGCQP0kxM

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 8, 2023

Grassley fraud invoice passes Senate

Grassley’s replace of the False Claims Act, which permits companies to get well cash from individuals who defraud the federal government, was unanimously handed by the Senate, clearing a significant legislative hurdle and transferring on to the Home.

The invoice focuses on smaller cases of fraud and raises the cap for a lot of these claims from $150,000 to $1 million. It additionally “expands the variety of Justice Division officers who can evaluation these claims and permits the federal government to recoup prices for investigating and prosecuting these frauds,” based on a press launch.

“The False Claims Act has clearly been one of the best device to combat fraud in opposition to the federal government and get well misplaced taxpayer {dollars}. Tens of billions of {dollars} have been returned to the federal treasury since my updates 37 years in the past,” Grassley stated.

2day Justice Sotomayor made be aware of my work on False Claims Act as SCOTUS heard case on that legislation FCA is greatest device now we have to combat fraud/waste in govt As I wrote briefly to SCOTUS, decrease courtroom screwed up interpretation of textual content + historical past

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 18, 2023

Grassley introduces banking payments

Within the wake of huge financial institution failures within the tech sector, Grassley launched laws with Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed that will make it simpler for regulators to “claw again compensation from negligent financial institution administrators and senior executives at failed systemically essential banks,” based on a press launch. The invoice would additionally “ban these administrators and executives from future participation within the monetary trade.”

Silicon Valley Financial institution failed in mid-March and federal regulators took over a second faltering financial institution, San Francisco-based First Republic Financial institution.

“Financial institution executives shouldn’t be capable to skate unscathed from a financial institution failure of their very own doing, they usually actually shouldn’t be capable to revenue from their poor administration when taxpayers and depositors are left shouldering the burden of losses,” Grassley stated. “This invoice supplies further accountability for financial institution managers whose poor selections result in the failures of systemically essential banks that have to be bailed out.”

Grassley additionally launched, with Republican Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, a invoice that will forestall the Client Monetary Safety Bureau from “requiring neighborhood banks and lenders to gather and report social knowledge on small companies looking for loans,” based on a press launch.

The Small LENDER Act would outline a small enterprise as one with $1 million or much less in income. It supplies a three-year implementation schedule plus a two-year grace interval.

Ernst joins effort to kill federal property tax

Sen. Joni Ernst, with South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune and 40 different senators, reintroduced a invoice that will completely repeal the federal property tax.

“Households who run a farm operation or small enterprise shouldn’t must worry the potential lack of their livelihood as they grieve their beloved one,” Ernst stated in an announcement. “Our effort removes an egregious tax legislation that might wipe out generations of onerous work and entrepreneurship.”

Iowa’s delegation pushes for summertime ethanol, rural help

Members of Iowa’s congressional delegation in each chambers have been calling on the Biden administration to permit for the summer season sale of E-15 gasoline blends nationwide.

“{The summertime} sale of E15 final 12 months supported farmers, created and sustained jobs, decreased our reliance on international oil, and gave customers a alternative, due to this fact, higher costs on the pump,” Grassley stated in a letter. “That is as true right this moment because it was one 12 months in the past, and I name in your Administration to proceed these efforts as you probably did final 12 months.”

Rep. Randy Feenstra pushed EPA Administrator Michael Regan to permit E-15 gross sales this summer season at an April 19 Agriculture Committee listening to:

Moreover, Rep. Ashley Hinson, with Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, led a bunch of legislators in a letter to the EPA “expressing concern over the EPA’s proposed Renewable Quantity Obligations (RVOs) for superior biofuels” and urging Regan to extend mixing targets for superior biofuels like biomass-based diesel,” based on a press launch.

Ernst and Democratic Montana Sen. Jon Tester additionally launched a invoice that will reverse current modifications to the Free Utility for Federal Pupil Help (FAFSA) course of. The senators stated they’re involved a brand new revenue eligibility formulation will scale back or get rid of need-based support for farm households and small enterprise homeowners, based on a press launch. Grassley has additionally joined in help of this invoice.

“Mother and father shouldn’t be pressured to leverage their enterprise to make sure their baby has entry to monetary support. That’s why I’m working onerous to make sure Iowa households are usually not deprived within the FAFSA utility course of,” Ernst stated.

Grassley proposes felony justice payments

Grassley and Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin reintroduced three felony justice payments as a follow-up to the 2018 First Step Act (FSA) that take care of sentencing reform, increasing a house detention program for aged offenders and clarifying reduction for prisoners who have been sentenced for crack cocaine offenses earlier than legal guidelines modified in 2010.

“Criminals have to face simply penalties, and our system ought to search to forestall recidivism. Our work on the First Step Act did that, and our new package deal of payments will additional the objectives of equity, public security and decreased crime. The applications we’re bolstering intention to assist make inmates productive residents once they reenter society, and never fall again into a lifetime of crime,” Grassley stated.

The First Step Implementation Act would enable courts to cut back sentences imposed previous to the enactment of the FSA, enable courts to condemn beneath a compulsory minimal for nonviolent managed substance offenses and permit courts to cut back sentences imposed on juvenile offenders who’ve served greater than 20 years.

It additionally would allow data of nonviolent juvenile offenses to be sealed or expunged and require the Lawyer Normal to ascertain procedures “guaranteeing that solely correct felony data are shared for employment-related functions,” based on a press launch.

The Safer Detention Act would replace the Aged Dwelling Detention Pilot Program and compassionate launch from federal prisons. The Terry Technical Correction Act permits offenders who have been sentenced for a crack cocaine offense earlier than the Truthful Sentencing Act of 2010 to use for reduction below the First Step Act.

Grassley additionally joined bipartisan laws addressing enforcement of kid exploitation, together with modernizing investigation and prosecution of on-line crimes, based on a press launch.

Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, joined in introducing the Challenge Secure Childhood Act.

Companion laws has been launched within the Home by Democratic Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Republican Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Grassley additionally led a bunch of 18 Republican colleagues in introducing the Combating Violent and Harmful Crime Act. “This invoice consists of numerous small fixes that may go a great distance in enhancing justice and stopping future crimes by clearing up ambiguity in present legislation,” Grassley stated in an announcement.

Iowa’s delegation celebrates Iowa Hawkeyes ladies’s basketball group

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks gave a speech honoring Caitlin Clark and the Iowa ladies’s basketball group on the Home ground, whereas different members of the delegation additionally provided congratulations.

.@CaitlinClark22, you and @IowaWBB have been a pleasure to look at this season and inspiration to these throughout Iowa. Go Hawks! pic.twitter.com/VIkFne6QJ7

— Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (@RepMMM) April 17, 2023

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The @iowawbb group has captured the attn of the nation Properly deserved Proud 2b an Iowan 2day & each day LETS GO HAWKS #IowaWBB

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 2, 2023

We love our Hawks! Caitlin Clark & @IowaWBB impressed all of us.

Unbelievable season and unimaginable group! 🖤💛

— Ashley Hinson (@RepAshleyHinson) April 2, 2023

Nunn adopts foster daughters; introduces adoption, navy parental depart payments

Rep. Zach Nunn launched the Struggle for Households Act, a invoice geared toward serving to low-and middle-income households “who need to undertake youngsters which can be in any other case troublesome to put with households,” based on a press launch.

There are round 4,100 youngsters in foster care in Iowa and round 1,000 Iowa youngsters awaiting adoption within the state as nicely, based on the Division of Well being and Human Companies.

“Household is all the pieces to Iowans, and I need to be sure that I’m doing all the pieces in my energy to assist Iowans who’re keen to open their residence to deprived youngsters,” Nunn stated. “My invoice would assist low and middle-income households, in addition to retirees on mounted incomes, be capable to offset prices related to adopting.” 

Particularly, the invoice would require the present $14,890 Federal Adoption Tax Credit score to be refundable and everlasting for households who’re adopting a baby. Amongst different necessities, the state must decide the kid “most likely received’t be adoptable with out help supplied to the adoptive household,” based on the discharge.

My household is blessed to announce our official adoption of Jayna and Aliya! We’re so blissful to have our women be a part of the household and grateful for everybody who helped alongside the way in which to make this occur. Wanting ahead to serving to different Iowa households on their path to adoption. pic.twitter.com/zadzxyVJz1

— Zach Nunn (@NunnForCongress) April 6, 2023

Nunn and Democratic North Carolina Rep. Jeff Jackson launched a invoice that features drilling members of the Reserve and Nationwide Guard below a legislation that expanded parental depart for fathers and adoptive dad and mom on lively responsibility.

“I’m thrilled to work throughout the aisle with fellow Guardsman Jeff Jackson to make sure our Nationwide Guard and Reserve members have equal entry to parental depart for fathers and adoptive dad and mom,” Nunn stated in an announcement. “Any servicemember who serves our nation deserves time with their new youngsters.” 

Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski have launched a companion invoice within the Senate.

Ernst, Hassan suggest change to cut back coin prices

Ernst and Hassan reintroduced a invoice geared toward the price of minting cash.

The Coin Steel Modification Authorization and Value Financial savings Act that authorizes the U.S. Mint to switch the metallic composition of circulating cash if it could save taxpayer {dollars}.

“It’s absolute non-cents that American taxpayers spend ten cents to make only one nickel. Solely Washington may lose cash being profitable,” Ernst stated in a information launch. “This commonsense, bipartisan effort will modify the composition of sure cash to cut back prices whereas permitting for a seamless transition into circulation. A penny saved is a penny not borrowed.”