Senator Charles Grassley hosts question and answer session at Waukon Lions Club meeting as part of his annual 99-county tour

by Bob Beach

As part of his annual 99-county tour, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) was the guest speaker at the meeting of the Waukon Lions Club held Wednesday, February 18 at the Main Feature Theatre and Pizza Pub in Waukon.
In an exclusive interview with The Standard prior to the meeting, Grassley said that while he has supported an increase in the minimum wage in the past, he would not support such an increase now, at least at the federal level because such an increase could cost the country jobs during a time of high unemployment.
With regard to the future of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) with Republicans in charge of both houses of Congress, Grassley said that the Senate will consider a bill passed by the House in January to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but that Democrats would likely filibuster that measure and it would never come to a vote. Even if the Senate did pass a bill to repeal Obamacare, Grassley said that the President would veto the bill and there would not be enough votes in the Senate to override a veto.
Grassley also referenced the case of King v Burwell set to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in March. He said that if the court rules that President Obama violated his own law in the way in which it was implemented, the President would be forced to negotiate with Congress to make changes to the law.
Grassley added that Obamacare would likely be a major issue in the Presidential election in 2016. Asked if he'd yet picked a horse in that race, Grassley said that it would probably be six to eight months before he decides which candidate he would support, but that due to the low approval ratings for Congress, he suggested that a governor or a former governor would probably give his party the best chance of regaining the White House.
Following brief opening remarks to address the meeting crowd in attendance, Grassley fielded questions from Lions Club members and members of the public. He told the gathering that the Senate under Republican control is not being run the same as it was under the Democrats and amendments from both parties are being given consideration. Nevertheless, he said that if the Senate fails to pass any significant measures, it will be due to Democrats obstructing those efforts.
For example, Grassley said that while Republicans hope to pass revenue-neutral tax reform that includes a simplified tax code and lower marginal tax rates, the President may veto a bill that doesn't result in increased revenue.
On a similar note, Grassley noted that the Senate had passed a bill approving the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, but the President is expected to veto that measure and there are not enough votes in the Senate to override a veto.
On the subject of immigration reform, Grassley said that the Senate Republicans' strategy in dealing with the President's unilateral actions will be to attach a "rider" on the appropriations bill for Homeland Security, which would effectively defund that department until the President's amnesty program is stopped. Grassley said that Senate Republicans may use a similar strategy to deal with changes in the definition of "navigable waters" used by the Environmental Protection Agency, which he said would have a major impact on Iowa farmers.
Grassley also answered questions about the President's handling of ISIS, saying, "The President is doing all we can do and all we should do, at least for now. But the situation is always changing."