Senator Chuck Grassley - IOWA - RSS Feed

Grassley Works to Close Loophole that Allows Terrorists to Stay in U.S.

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:01:30 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today introduced legislation to close a loophole in U.S. visa policy that allows foreigners to remain in the United States after they have had their visa revoked.

Transcription of Senator Grassley's Conference Call with Iowa Reporters

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:01:12 EST

GRASSLEY: I just came from the Judiciary Committee, where we're questioning the FBI director and leaders of the Department of State and Homeland Security. This hearing was scheduled following the December 25th bombing, to get to the bottom of how the Christmas Day bomber was allowed on a plane headed for Detroit.

As a precursor to the hearing last week, I began asking questions about visa security program and our embassies around the world.

Grassley Leads Effort Questioning Administration on Pending Visa Security Units

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:01:21 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley is leading a group of senators who are asking for answers from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, about why pending applications for Visa Security units in several countries, including Yemen, have yet to be approved.

Grassley said that the application for Yemen has been pending since September 2008, while applications for Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Frankfurt and Amman have been waiting approval since September 2009.

Visa Security units assist the State Department in screening visa applicants for security concerns.

Grassley Seeks Information About Failure to Revoke Visas to "Possible Terrorists" and Presses State Department for Answers on Visa Screening Upgrades at Foreign Stations

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:01:17 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today pushed the Department of State for information about its policy of allowing foreign nationals classified as "possible terrorists" to travel to the United States and expressed concerns about the slow process of implementing Visa Security Units at its embassies around the world. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Grassley expressed dismay that the would-be Christmas Day bomber had a valid U.S.

Transcription of Senator Grassley Agriculture News Conference Call

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:01:16 EST

GRASSLEY: Well, I wanted to tell you about what I think is this new year's -- I want to say happy new year to all of you -- it's going to be a fairly active year for agriculture.

It's not going to be on the scale of a farm bill, but there's a lot of agricultural interests that are going to be front and center. And I'm calling on the Democratic leadership to immediately bring up consideration of several tax provisions, like the biodiesel tax credit and the estate tax.

Grassley, Senators Take Exception with Administration Remarks that Legalizing Undocumented Workers will Help Economy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:11:35 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley and several colleagues today took exception with remarks made by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the Center for American Progress about legalizing undocumented individuals.

The Senators wrote a letter to Napolitano to express disappointment when she said, "Requiring illegal immigrants to register to earn legal status…will strengthen our economy as these immigrants become full‐paying taxpayers. As labor leaders have made clear to me, immigration reform will be a boon to American workers.

Senators Introduce 'Employ America Act'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:11:42 EST

WASHINGTON, November 19 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today introduced legislation to prohibit major firms that lay off large numbers of American workers from hiring cheaper foreign labor through temporary guest worker programs.

The economic stimulus package included a similar provision authored by Sanders and Grassley to prevent companies receiving a taxpayer bailout from the Troubled Asset Relief Program from replacing laid-off American workers with guest workers from overseas. The Sanders-Grassley Employ America Act expands upon this provision by barring any company engaged in a mass layoff of American workers from hiring temporary guest workers from abroad.

Questioning Terrorists' Immigration Status

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:11:00 EST

WASHINGTON-Several members the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent the following letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Signing the letter were Senators John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, Jon Kyl, Orrin Hatch, Lindsey Graham, Tom Coburn and Jeff Sessions.

The Honorable Eric Holder The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Attorney General Secretary
U.

Grassley Pushes Immigration Authorities to Hold Employers Accountable for H-1B Visa Fraud

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:11:24 EST

Senator Chuck Grassley today pressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to step up its commitment to end the fraud and abuse of the H-1B visa program

Grassley, Senators Question Reports of Decrease in Border Patrol Agents

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:10:02 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today questioned the Department of Homeland Security about recent reports that the department will decrease the number of Border Patrol agents along the U.S-Mexico border in the upcoming year. Grassley and several colleagues sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking about the reports.

Grassley works to ensure accountability in H-1B visa program

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:09:18 EST

WASHINGTON - One year after an internal assessment showed extensive fraud and abuse in the H-1B visa program, Senator Chuck Grassley today is asking U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to hold employers accountable by requesting evidence from petitioners that H-1B visa holders actually have a job waiting for them in the United States.

Grassley Works to Keep E-Verify Amendment in Final Appropriations Bill

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:09:47 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today pressed the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to retain his E-Verify amendment that was approved unanimously in the Senate version of the Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The differences between the House and Senate versions of the Homeland Security Appropriations bill are currently being worked out.

"Employers want to abide by the rule of law and hire people who are legally in this country.

Grassley: Homeland Security Department Hampers State and Local Law Enforcement Ability to Apprehend Illegal Aliens

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:07:03 EST

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said that the Department of Homeland Security is making it more difficult for local law enforcement personnel to investigate, apprehend and detain illegal aliens.

Grassley said the department's new policies will weaken the 287(g) program and efforts to enforce the immigration law. Grassley is the author of the program which he said was specifically written to give local law enforcement offices the capability to investigate, apprehend, and detain illegal immigrants by entering into a cooperative agreement with the federal government.

Grassley Q & A: E-Verify

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:07:21 EST

Q: What is E-Verify?
A: E-Verify is a nationwide voluntary andfree online system run jointly by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

Grassley Amendment to Curb Illegal Immigration Clears Senate

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:07:32 EST

Senator Chuck Grassley said that his amendment to allow an employer to verify the work status of all workers, not just new hires, through the E-verify program passed the Senate late tonight.