Latest news with #CharlesGrassley
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Town hall meetings aren't working for anyone. Let's create a better way
Should we give 'town hall meetings' a rest? Perform major surgery? Or let them die and create something better? I'm for the latter. Recent events illustrate why. Police escorted two people from a town hall with Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, after those attendees disrupted the session with shouted slogans. Even in normally polite Iowa, Sen. Charles Grassley was hooted and booed when he took the White House line on tariffs and immigration. Three demonstrators were detained, and two were jolted with a stun gun, after disrupting a town hall with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene near Atlanta. Greene had mocked some of the attendees' questions and political views. These encounters were once useful exercises, if only to demonstrate that in this current format, no one wins. Voters may come hoping to share their views, get questions answered or influence policy decisions. But they often leave disappointed. Both the crowd and elected official lob insults. The lawmaker feels attacked and misunderstood. The public feels unheard and disrespected. These showdowns might seem like constitutionally protected expressions of the right to assemble, petition and speak. But the speech and assembly feel less free when opinions differ from the cheering or sneering majority. Silent majorities (or minorities) may choose to hold their tongues or vote with their feet, or someone will end the meeting when they've had enough of the abuse. Beyond the flaws in format lies a deeper issue: Rarely do hosts convene these meetings before taking a vote or making a significant policy decision. Imagine your spouse, parent or roommate making a key decision about your home without your knowledge or input. That discontent pervades town hall meetings. By the time the meeting happens, it's often too late. If the purpose of these gatherings is to allow elected officials to understand constituent points of view, that can only happen in settings that lend themselves to conversation, not shouting matches. Let's imagine what that could look like: Voters could be randomly assigned to tables with neighbors, a facilitator and a notetaker to discuss issues while respecting conversation agreements. A member of Congress could listen to parts of each discussion, while staff members track constituent input and respond to questions. Attendees could then do a 'gallery walk' to see notes from all conversations and add stickers behind ideas they support. The congressional office team could compile and summarize the input with follow-up responses via email and social media. Thoughtful uses of technology can help. Anonymous, real-time polling can give those afraid to speak a chance to express their views and give elected officials a more accurate read of the room. A moderated telecast enabling participants to call in or send text messages can change the dynamics. Members of Congress could also use technology to dial random constituents across the district, providing a broader array of viewpoints. Elected officials need to ask themselves why they hold these sessions and whether they'd be better served by a different format. Whatever format they choose, they need to spend more time listening than talking. We, the people, might need remedial training. One idea worth exploring: investment in a 'conversation corps' ― trained facilitators who make civil, civic dialogue possible in comfortable, familiar, and inviting settings. In Austin, three public agencies teamed with a nonprofit leadership organization to train more than 100 community members. They used discussion guides to facilitate dialogue across the city in coffeeshops, libraries, theatres and beyond. Their work helped agencies hear from the entire community, not just those willing to trek to City Hall, and gave policymakers a more nuanced understanding of the public's perspective. Meanwhile, 'bridge building' organizations such as Braver Angels, Bridge USA and Unify America are creating safe spaces for compelling dialogue across sharp differences in perspective. It will take sustained, concerted efforts by both elected officials and their constituents to achieve this. Perhaps town halls have survived chiefly because people believe 'we've always done it this way.' But it is not the only way to enable Americans to be heard. Larry Schooler is an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas and a senior fellow at the National Civic League. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: It's OK to let town hall meetings die. There's a better way | Opinion
The Herald
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
US justice dept grant cuts valued at $811m, people and records say
Activating Change, a nonprofit that supports domestic violence victims with disabilities, lost five federal grants totaling more than $2m (R37.6m), said executive director Nancy Smith. One of those paid for American sign language interpretation services for domestic violence victims, while another trains police on how to investigate trafficking crimes against people with disabilities. Another recipient that lost funding is the central Iowa trauma recovery centre, which received support from Republican senator Charles Grassley. Other types of canceled grants funded programmes from criminal justice research to efforts to help reduce recidivism and support people after they leave prison. A justice department official said on Thursday night the grant to the Iowa-based trauma recovery centre was being restored, but the department would not restore the grants to Activating Change because of its affiliation with the Vera Institute of Justice. The Vera Institute of Justice, an independent nonprofit, was recently targeted by billionaire Elon Musk's department of government efficiency as part of its cost-cutting effort. "The justice department's reckless cuts to their federal grants endanger the victims' safety," the Vera Institute of Justice told Reuters in a statement. "It is unconscionable that this administration would put partisan politics over the wellbeing of victims of crime," the group said. Smith said in a statement that terminating her group's grants represented a "political act". "This punishes deaf and disabled survivors, silences marginalised voices, and dismantles vital support for those facing the greatest barriers to safety and healing," she said. Of the $811m in total cuts, about $71m (R1.3bn) comes from grants offered by the office for victims of crime, according to a spreadsheet of the grants seen by Reuters. The justice department cut roughly $535m (R10bn) to programmes from the bureau of justice assistance, which funds programmes to support many local police departments and correctional facilities, the data shows. The federal agency cut about $136m (R2.5bn) from the office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, and terminated nearly $59m (R1.1bn) in research grants funded by the national institute of justice. Reuters
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sen. Grassley talks tariffs with Iowa farmers
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa farmers are hoping for more certainty in U.S. trade policy. Several attended a town hall meeting in Jones County on Monday with U.S. Senator Charles Grassley. Farmers say they are worried tariffs will reduce the value of the crop they are just starting to plant. Fertilizer byproduct leak causes fish kill in Fort Dodge creek, DNR says 'I think the president's looking at the long term, even beyond his four years of being president of the United States. I think he's looking to re-establish manufacturing very strong. And I think he ought to be applauded for that,' said Sen. Grassley. It isn't all applause from the Republican senator. He has also co-sponsored a bill to give Congress approval power over trade tariffs. Sen. Grassley continues his 99-county tour Tuesday. He is holding a town hall meeting in Fort Madison at City Council Chambers from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. New details about officer-involved shooting that shut down I-80 in Dallas County Sen. Grassley talks tariffs with Iowa farmers I-80 shut down after incident involving law enforcement in Dallas County Hawkeyes' Olsen drafted in to WNBA Fertilizer byproduct leak causes fish kill in Fort Dodge creek, DNR says Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
25-02-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UnitedHealth Falls After Report of Senate Probe Into Billing
UnitedHealth Group Inc. shares fell after a report that Republican Senator Charles Grassley is launching an inquiry into the insurer's Medicare billing practices. The Senate Judiciary Committee probe is looking at UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage program, a privately administered version of the US Medicare health coverage plan for seniors and the disabled, the Wall Street Journal reported.
