Americans sent a very clear message to the President and to Congress on Election Day. For too long, Washington has let politics cloud progress on legislation that could make a big difference in our daily lives. Access to affordable health care has become limited. Consumers have been paying record prices at the pump while big oil has posted record profits. And our troops and their families have been stretched thin.

The call for change is finally resonating in the halls of Congress, and many lawmakers are listening for the first time in a long time. As a result, I believe we’re going to see the progress, accountability and transparency people deserve from their government. Cooperation and bipartisanship will be at the root of this new direction. In Arkansas, we know that talking to one another is more effective than talking at one another. We also know that no political party has a monopoly on good ideas; it’s more important to take the best ideas from all sides and turn those proposals into law. This is a well-tested philosophy that I have used to pass laws that benefit our veterans, seniors, children, taxpayers and farmers and bring more infrastructure dollars to our state. Read the rest of this entry »

At this time of year, I like to recall the famous Norman Rockwell painting, “Freedom from Want,� which portrays a grandmother placing an enormous roast turkey on a dinner table surrounded by a happy extended family.  America truly is a nation of amazing blessings and abundance.  And the holiday season is always a wonderful time at which to reflect on and give thanks for our prosperity and freedom.

But even amidst such prosperity, many Americans continue to struggle to have enough to eat, mainly because of an economy that has left many behind.  In fact, the number of Americans experiencing hunger has increased in recent years.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found the number of “food insecure� Americans – those who go hungry or cannot afford a nutritious diet – rose from 31 million in 1999 to more than 35 million in 2005 (the most recent year for which statistics are available).  Many of the “food insecure� are single mothers and children.  They are forced to skip meals or substitute cheaper but less nutritious foods.  Sometimes they simply go to bed hungry.

We also know that government has an essential role in helping alleviate hunger and promoting good nutrition.  Millions of children enjoy nutritious federally-supported breakfasts and lunches each school day.   The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provides nutritious food to at-risk mothers and young children.  And the Food Stamp Program provides a modest benefit to help low-income children, working families, and seniors obtain an adequate diet.

We also need to attack poverty by raising the minimum wage (which has been frozen for nearly a decade) and writing tax policy that benefits all Americans, including those of modest means. Though the economic struggles of working families are a challenge, they aren’t insurmountable.  Sustained partnership between generous Americans and a compassionate government can make a difference.

I am thankful for the freedoms and liberties that we have, with a special thanks to the men and women protecting us from the War on Terror. I am thankful for the farmers and laborers involved in the food chain, helping to prepare the bountiful meals we will enjoy this Thanksgiving. I am thankful for family and friends, and I am thankful for the privilege to serve the fine people of Iowa in the United States Senate. I enjoy what I do.

If a bill I introduced Nov. 15 along with Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) becomes law, more schools would benefit from a program to help retiring military personnel start second careers as school teachers.

My “Troops to Teachers” program was originally created in 1994 to help recent military retirees find teaching positions, especially in math and science. In later years a stipend was added to help the veterans obtain proper accreditation, and a provision was approved to help interested personnel begin working for accreditation prior to leaving the service.

The intention was to increase the pool of available teachers across the country to ‘high need’ schools (broadly defined), and that’s how the Pentagon implemented the program. But when management of the program was moved to the Education Department a few years ago, that Department interpreted the law to define ‘high need’ much more narrowly, meaning that participants in the program would have to teach in schools with an exceptionally large percentage of students from low-income families. Those schools need extra attention, but only three percent of Wisconsin’s school districts (for example) qualify under the Education Department’s regulations.

My new bill is a compromise between my original intent and the Education Department’s interpretation. My bill ensures that veterans teach in high-need schools first and foremost, but are not locked out of the program based on the geographic makeup of their communities. If, as defined by the Education Department, no high-need school exists within 50 miles of a veteran’s home, veterans would be eligible to fulfill their obligations in schools that serve low-income students under the original definition of high-need, which was a school receiving Title I funds.

As I promised in September, GAO on November 17 sent to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle a list of 36 suggested areas for oversight in the 110th Congress. The list is based on GAO’s work, including our High-Risk List and 21st Century Challenges report.

As I said in my transmittal letter: “There are two general themes that support our recommendations. First, we cannot afford to continue business as usual in Washington, given our current deficit and growing long-term fiscal challenges. Second, most of the federal government’s current policies, programs, functions, and activities are based on conditions that existed decades ago, are not results-based, and are not well aligned with 21st century realities. Therefore, there is a need to engage in a fundamental review, reprioritization, and re-engineering of the base of government.”

GAO stands ready to assist the new Congress in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities, and we believe the areas for inquiry that we include in our correspondence (GAO-07-235R) would be a good place to start.