Chuck Grassley

==== 2000–2009 ====
[[File:President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney Attend a Meeting with Senator Charles Grassley in the Oval Office (02).jpg|thumb|Grassley meets with President [[George W. Bush]] and Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] in 2001]]
In May 2001, Grassley met with Democratic senator [[Max Baucus]] over the allocation of finances in tax cuts and both reported they were making progress in reaching a bipartisan deal, Grassley adding that the bill would contain all four of the main elements proposed by the Bush administration and the Senate Finance Committee would modify the components of the Bush proposal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/us/panel-reaches-deal-on-budget-framework.html|title=Panel Reaches Deal on Budget Framework|date=May 9, 2001|first1=Richard W.|last1=Stevenson|first2=David E.|last2=Rosenbaum|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 26, 2018|archive-date=February 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213180502/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/us/panel-reaches-deal-on-budget-framework.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2002, Grassley sent a letter to president and chief executive of the [[United Way of America]] Brian Gallagher requesting a detailed explanation on the overseeing of both finances and management of the organization's affiliates. Grassley also wrote to chief executive of the United Way of the National Capital Area Norman O. Taylor in regards to allegations of affiliates misappropriating money as well as withholding information the board needed to allow its conducting of oversight.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/22/us/senator-questions-finances-of-united-way.html|title=Senator Questions Finances of United Way|first=Stephanie|last=Storm|date=August 22, 2002|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 26, 2018|archive-date=July 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201743/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/22/us/senator-questions-finances-of-united-way.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley has spearheaded many probes into alleged misuse and lack of accountability of federal money. In July 2007, a Grassley-commissioned report was released claiming that more than US$1 billion in [[agricultural subsidy|farm subsidies]] were sent to deceased individuals.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003803149_watch24.html | title = Dead farmers got subsidies | work = [[The Seattle Times]] | date = July 24, 2007 | access-date = July 24, 2007 |url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929143432/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003803149_watch24.html | archive-date = September 29, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Grassley was called a "Taxpayer Super Hero" in 2014 by the Council for [[Citizens Against Government Waste]]. He received a 100 percent rating from the group that year and has a lifetime rating of 78 percent.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ccagw-honors-sen-chuck-grassley-for-being-a-taxpayer-super-hero-2015-07-30 | title = CCAGW Honors Sen. Chuck Grassley for Being a "Taxpayer Super Hero" | work = [[MarketWatch]] | date = July 30, 2015 | access-date = September 27, 2015 |url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150928232619/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ccagw-honors-sen-chuck-grassley-for-being-a-taxpayer-super-hero-2015-07-30 | archive-date = September 28, 2015 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Grassley was ranked the 5th most bipartisan Senator of the [[114th United States Congress]] and the 7th most bipartisan Senator in the first session of the [[115th United States Congress|115th Congress]] by the Bipartisan Index, a metric created by [[the Lugar Center]] for [[Richard Lugar#The Lugar Center|the Lugar Center]] and [[Georgetown University|Georgetown's]] [[McCourt School of Public Policy]] to rank members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.thelugarcenter.org/assets/htmldocuments/The%20Lugar%20Center%20-%20McCourt%20School%20Bipartisan%20Index%20114th%20Congress%20House%20Scores.pdf|title=The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index|publisher=[[Richard Lugar#The Lugar Center|The Lugar Center]]|date=March 7, 2016|access-date=April 30, 2017|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621172910/http://www.thelugarcenter.org/assets/htmldocuments/The%20Lugar%20Center%20-%20McCourt%20School%20Bipartisan%20Index%20114th%20Congress%20House%20Scores.pdf|archive-date=June 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thelugarcenter.org/assets/htmldocuments/Senate%20Scores%20115th%20Congress%20First%20Session.pdf|publisher=The Lugar Center|title=The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=July 2, 2018|location=Washington, D.C.|archive-date=July 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180136/http://www.thelugarcenter.org/assets/htmldocuments/Senate%20Scores%20115th%20Congress%20First%20Session.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2004, Grassley released an internal report composed by the FBI in 2000 that examined 107 instances of either serious or criminal misconduct by its agents over a 16-year period. In a letter to the FBI, Grassley called the report "a laundry list of horrors with examples of agents who committed rape, sexual crimes against children, other sexual deviance and misconduct, attempted murder of a spouse, and narcotics violations, among many others" and added that the report's findings raised questions about whether the FBI handled agents "soon enough and rigorously enough".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/19/us/senator-says-report-chronicling-misconduct-by-fbi-agents-is-a-list-of-horrors.html|title=Senator Says Report Chronicling Misconduct by F.B.I. Agents Is a 'List of Horrors'|date=February 19, 2004|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Eric|last=Lichtblau|access-date=July 26, 2018|archive-date=July 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201806/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/19/us/senator-says-report-chronicling-misconduct-by-fbi-agents-is-a-list-of-horrors.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 28, 2006, Grassley proposed legislation<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/27/pimp.tax/|title=Senator seeks tax on pimps, prostitutes|first=Jonathan|last=Schienberg|date=June 28, 2006|access-date=August 17, 2006|work=[[CNN]]|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821101655/http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/27/pimp.tax/|archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=5114|access-date=August 17, 2006|title=Grassley Press Release on the "Pimp Tax"|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628222544/http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=5114|archive-date=June 28, 2006}}</ref> intended to curb [[sex trafficking]] and [[sexual slavery]] in the United States by means of strict enforcement of tax laws, for example by requiring a [[Form W-2|W-2]] form be filed for each [[prostitute]] managed by a [[pimp]] or other employer.

Since 1976, Grassley has repeatedly introduced measures that increase the level of [[Taxation in the United States|taxation]] on American citizens living abroad, including retroactive tax hikes. Grassley was eventually able to attach an amendment to a piece of legislation that went into effect in 2006, which increased taxes on Americans abroad by targeting housing and living incentives paid by foreign employers and held them accountable for federal taxes, even though they did not currently reside in the United States. Critics of the amendment felt that the move hurt Americans competing for jobs abroad by putting an unnecessary tax burden on foreign employers. Others felt that the move was only to offset the revenue deficit caused by [[Bush tax cuts|domestic tax cuts]] of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush Administration]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/business/30tax.html | work = [[The New York Times]]| title = Americans Living Abroad Get a Nasty Tax Surprise | first1 = Keith | last1 = Bradsher | date = May 30, 2006 | access-date = April 30, 2010 |url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110512165003/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/business/30tax.html | archive-date = May 12, 2011 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/12/news/expats.php | title = Americans abroad face higher United States tax bills | work = [[International Herald Tribune]] | first = Dan | last = Bilefsky | date = May 12, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060619204314/http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/12/news/expats.php | archive-date = June 19, 2006}}</ref><ref>[http://www.aca.ch/cadtaxlt.htm Senator Charles Grassley’s Letter of October 3rd 2007 in the Wall Street Journal Provokes Vivid Response.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201150031/http://www.aca.ch/cadtaxlt.htm |date=February 1, 2009 }}</ref>

In March 2009, amid a scandal that involved [[American International Group|AIG]] executives receiving large salary bonuses from the taxpayer-funded bailout of AIG, Grassley suggested that those AIG employees receiving large bonuses should follow the so-called 'Japanese example', resign immediately or commit [[Seppuku|suicide]]. After some criticism, he dismissed the comments as rhetoric.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29733519|title=Pressure grows on AIG to return bonuses|website=[[NBC News]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 18, 2009|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923224916/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29733519|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/17/1839673.aspx|title=Grassley dismisses suicide talk as rhetoric|website=[[MSNBC]]|first=Domenico|last=Montanaro|date=March 17, 2009|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320043833/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/17/1839673.aspx|archive-date=March 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/grassley-aig-should-take-its-medicine-not-hemlock|title=Grassley: A.I.G. Must Take Its Medicine (Not Hemlock)|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Kate|last=Phillips|date=March 17, 2009|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319151817/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/grassley-aig-should-take-its-medicine-not-hemlock/|archive-date=March 19, 2009}}</ref>

In May 2009, Grassley cosponsored a resolution to amend the [[US Constitution]] to prohibit [[Flag desecration|flag burning]].<ref>{{cite news| last = Hancock | first = Jason | url = http://iowaindependent.com/14889/grassley-cosponsors-flag-burning-amendment | title = Grassley cosponsors flag-burning amendment| newspaper=[[Iowa Independent]]|date = May 8, 2009 | access-date = August 23, 2010 |url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120714090823/http://iowaindependent.com/14889/grassley-cosponsors-flag-burning-amendment | archive-date = July 14, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>

[[File:Chuck Grassley (4088992629).jpg|thumb|Grassley in 2009]]
When President [[Barack Obama]] and the Democratic Party proposed a health reform bill featuring mandated health insurance, Grassley opposed the health insurance mandate, saying that it was a deal breaker.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jason|last=Hancock| work = [[Iowa Independent]]| title = Grassleys opposition to individual insurance mandate comes under fire | date = October 8, 2009 | url = http://iowaindependent.com/20702/grassleys-opposition-to-insurance-mandates-comes-under-fire |url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091011061636/http://iowaindependent.com/20702/grassleys-opposition-to-insurance-mandates-comes-under-fire | archive-date = October 11, 2009 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> In response to an audience question at an August 12, 2009, meeting in Iowa, about the end-of-life counseling provisions in the [[America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009|House health care bill]], {{USBill|111|HR|3200}}, Grassley said people were right to fear that the government would "[[pull the plug on grandma]]".<ref>{{cite news | url = https://huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/12/grassley-endorses-death-p_n_257677.html | title = Grassley Endorses "Death Panel" Rumor: "You Have Every Right To Fear" | website= [[Huffington Post]]| first = Sam | last = Stein | date = September 12, 2009 | access-date = August 23, 2010 |url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091216122846/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/12/grassley-endorses-death-p_n_257677.html | archive-date = December 16, 2009 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Hancock | first = Jason | url = http://iowaindependent.com/18456/grassley-government-shouldnt-decide-when-to-pull-the-plug-on-grandma | title = Grassley: Government shouldn't 'decide when to pull the plug on grandma' | newspaper= [[Iowa Independent]]| date = August 12, 2009 | access-date = August 23, 2010 |url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120712163722/http://iowaindependent.com/18456/grassley-government-shouldnt-decide-when-to-pull-the-plug-on-grandma | archive-date = July 12, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Hancock | first = Jason | url = http://iowaindependent.com/18485/grassley-repeats-euthanasia-claim | title = Grassley repeats euthanasia claim | newspaper=[[Iowa Independent]]| date = August 12, 2009 | access-date = August 23, 2010 |url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090815053807/http://iowaindependent.com/18485/grassley-repeats-euthanasia-claim | archive-date = August 15, 2009 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22425001 | title = Sen. Deather | work = [[The Rachel Maddow Show (TV series)|The Rachel Maddow Show]] | publisher = [[NBC News]] | date = August 13, 2009 | access-date = August 23, 2010 | df = mdy-all | archive-date = December 1, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191201235806/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22425001 | url-status = live }}</ref> Grassley had previously supported covering end-of-life counseling, having voted for the [[Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act]] of 2003, which stated: "The covered services are: evaluating the beneficiary's need for pain and symptom management, including the individual's need for hospice care; counseling the beneficiary with respect to end-of-life issues and care options, and advising the beneficiary regarding advanced care planning."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://iowaindependent.com/18673/grassley-was-for-death-panels-before-he-was-against-them|title=Grassley was for 'death panels' before he was against them|work=[[The Iowa Independent]]|first=Jason|last=Hancock|date=August 14, 2009|access-date=October 9, 2013|archive-date=December 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207195208/http://iowaindependent.com/18673/grassley-was-for-death-panels-before-he-was-against-them|url-status=dead}},</ref> In December 2009, he voted against the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] (commonly called Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act). It was later reported that Grassley had notified Obama that he would vote against the Affordable Care Act even had the bill been modified to include all of the proposed modifications Grassley had proposed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hulse|first=Carl|date=January 31, 2021|title=Ghosts of 2009 Drive Democrats' Push for Robust Crisis Response|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/31/us/democrats-agenda-coronavirus-economy.html|access-date=January 31, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>