"Rep. Rod Blum, his wife and Barbara Grassley, wife of Sen. Chuck Grassley, toured Peoples Health Clinic on Thursday in Waterloo. He visited with clinic administrators and doctors throughout his time there, culminating with a discussion with about 10 Peoples employees about their concerns. 'Thank God we have them here,' Grassley said. Blum said he is an advocate for community health centers. 'One of the reasons I like community health centers is because they are very accustomed to dealing with t...
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"Iowa's congressional delegation, including Reps. Steve King, Rod Blum, David Young and Dave Loebsack and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, wrote to President Donald Trump in support of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appeal of the Administration’s decision denying Individual Assistance FEMA aid for Buchanan, Dickinson, Polk and Winnebago counties. Their letter to the president read in part: 'It is our understanding that since the August 1, 2018, submission of the request for a Presidential Disaster ...
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"Congressman Rod Blum, a Republican from Dubuque, issued the following written statement after the White House announcement: 'It has been inspiring, but not surprising, to watch the community, State of Iowa, and federal representatives spring to action in the efforts to rebuild after this tremendous storm and tornado. These funds are great news for Marshall County, and I look forward to more positive news on individual assistance grants to help out people like Navy Veteran Laural who’s home was ...
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"President Donald Trump has granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Iowa. By granting this, Federal funds will be able to be used to help communities in Marshall County after severe storms and tornadoes on July 19. 'It has been inspiring, but not surprising, to watch the community, State of Iowa, and federal representatives spring to action in the efforts to rebuild after this tremendous storm and tornado,' Congressman Rod Blum said. 'These funds are great news for Marshall County,...
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Even as the partisan divide in Washington seems to grow more pronounced, glimmers of bipartisanship still appear. There's a new effort afoot to address the records of non-violent marijuana offenders that bridges ideological and geographic differences. Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat, along with 20 of her fellow Congressional Black Caucus members have joined forces with Freedom Caucus Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, and recently introduced the only current federal bill to seal the records o...
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"Americans with non-violent criminal records would get much-deserved second chances under a new federal proposal. U.S. Rep. Rod Blum last month introduced the Clean Slate Act, which would seal some criminal records for some non-violent offenders. Currently, those records remain publicly accessible long after debts to society have been paid, making it difficult for even some low-level offenders to seek education, secure employment or find housing. A one-time mistake as a teen or young adult can l...
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"While it’s difficult to quantify exactly how impactful gainful employment is in preventing recidivism, studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that ex-inmates who earn a living are less likely to return to their criminal behaviors. 'We don’t want to see this person go back to prison again,' said U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, who has introduced bipartisan legislation to remove some barriers to employment for non-violent past offenders. 'A, we want to see this person become a productive member of so...
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"U.S. Representatives Rod Blum (R-IA) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced H.R. 6677, the Clean Slate Act – a bipartisan, first-in-the-nation bill that provides a second chance to reformed non-violent drug offenders who face lifelong barriers that hinder opportunities in employment, housing, and education. According to estimates from the Center for American Progress, roughly 9 in 10 employers, 4 in 5 landlords, and 3 in 5 colleges use background check systems, which can result in a minor r...
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"This week, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Congressman Rod Blum (R-IA) announced the Clean Slate Act, HR 6669, along with 22 original cosponsors, to seal the records for marijuana charges one year after the sentence is completed. The Clean Slate Act is important legislation that would ease the burden felt by those unjustly suffering the collateral consequences resulting from cannabis prohibition." Read the full NORML article here.
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"Republican U.S. Rep. Rod Blum is pushing a measure to help people with non-violent criminal offenses pass background checks. Called the 'Clean Slate Act,' the bill would automatically seal federal records if an individual was convicted of non-violent drug offenses and allow people to petition the court system to seal their records for other non-violent offenses. Blum, of Dubuque, and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, introduced the act as a way to help reformed non-offenders re-en...
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