Congress

Olson Mug

Will Tyler try to take on Terry? 8

  Sure, Rep. Tyler Olson may get carded if he files papers to run for governor, but that doesn’t mean the Cedar Rapids Democrat shouldn’t take the plunge. Or maybe he’ll run for Congress, although I’m not sure why anyone would. Olson left his post as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to mull his [...]

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vote-button

Be the Poll – Vernon joins the 1st District congressional race

  So, as expected, all the leaning and considering has turned into a real campaign. Cedar Rapids City Council member Monica Vernon is running for Congress as a Democrat.  So now, on the D-side, in the 1st District of Iowa, in 2014, we have Vernon and state Rep. Pat Murphy of Dubuque who are in, [...]

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0531_OPI_Moore

Institute tax with no exemptions

By Ron Moore —-   Let’s eliminate income taxes for individuals and businesses. Will this increase our nation’s budget deficit? Not if we switch to sales and net worth taxes. The income tax is full of exemptions, loopholes, deductions. Special deals Congress has approved for certain businesses and individuals but not others. Some of our [...]

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Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, Kraig Paulsen, gavels in the Session Monday April 2, 2012 at the Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa. (Steve Pope/Freelance)

Paulsen confirms he’s considering 2014 U.S. House 1st District race

Hiawatha Republican said he wanted to wait for session's end before commenting

Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen will make a decision this summer whether to move to a bigger House – the U.S. House. Paulsen, for the first time Tuesday, confirmed he is thinking about running for the U.S. House 1st District in 2014. It will be an open-seat race because Rep. Bruce Braley is running for [...]

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Monica Vernon (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Vernon leans toward a congressional run 4

  The mayor poured cold water on congressional rumors. But the mayor pro tem  just might be in. Cedar Rapids City Council member Monica Vernon says she’s getting a lot of encouragement to run for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley is leaving the seat to run for the [...]

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Cedar Rapids City Council member Monica Vernon (from left) and Joe O'Hern, City Flood Recovery and Reinvestment director, look over property maps at the J Avenue NW and Ellis Boulevard NW location as members of the Northwest Recreation Center Task Force take a bus tour of the five possible sites for a new recreation center in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, February 23, 2012. (Stephen Mally/Freelance)

Monica Vernon likely will run for Braley’s congressional seat

Cedar Rapids council member prepares Democratic bid for national office

CEDAR RAPIDS — Can the talent pool for congressional candidates extend to City Hall? City Council member Monica Vernon is all-but-certain she is going to try to find out. Vernon, the city’s mayor pro tem and a two-term council member, on Tuesday said she is nearly ready to announce a run to become the Democratic [...]

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Thorny partisan issues are not the mayor’s thing 4

Mayor, definitely. Congress, probably not. Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is now officially running for a second term. So far, he’s the only one interested in the job. Four years ago, there was plenty of buzz around mayoral possibilities. This time, zilch. “I’m sure that before the filing deadline comes that there will be other [...]

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Physio-Control Introduces Next Generation of LIFENET System

United Way iPhone app gets mention in report to Congress

App provides volunteers with a map of opportunities and a way to connect

DES MOINES – A brainstorming session last year lead to development of an iPhone app to help connect Eastern Iowans to volunteer opportunities. That app, created for the United Way of East Central Iowa Volunteer Center, has earned a mention in a congressional budget justification on volunteer services. In the Corporation for Community Service congressional [...]

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0503_OPI_Lerner

Ag-gag laws

  By Dean Lerner —-   The April 9 New York Times Editorial, “Eating with our eyes closed,” is a real eye-opener. As usual, there’s always more to bizarre stories. And where there are bizarre stories, Congress/politicians aren’t far away. An Associated Press article (Aug. 24, Des Moines Register) informed us about three Republican congressmen [...]

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An unloaded .38 caliber revolvers rests at the county-operated shooting range at Field Sports Park in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2013. (Karl Mondon/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

Gun measure clears first Senate hurdle

But tougher debate still to come on controversial issue

By J.T. Rushing, correspondent   WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key procedural motion to take up Congress’ first step toward gun control legislation since December’s mass shootings in Connecticut passed the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Senators voted 68-31 to clear the way for the chamber to start debating a bill next week that would expand background [...]

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