Charles Grassley

The federal agency that is supposed to prevent Medicare fraud repeatedly ignored internal watchdog warnings about swindlers stealing millions of dollars over three years. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, received dozens of warnings from inspectors during the Bush and Obama administrations. They responded to only half of them. A July 2008 warning said organized crime had infiltrated the system and was costing more than $1 million dollars for each phony Medicare provider license the crooks obtained. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa has asked that future warnings receive a response within two ... Read Full Story

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA). (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News)  The outrage fest continues over bonuses given to to AIG execs and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) has put himself in the running for most outrageous sound bite. While appearing on Cedar Rapids radio station WMT, Grassley suggested one way that the shamed financial executives could make amends to the American people. ZIMBIO POLL DO YOU AGREE WITH SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY'S STATEMENT THAT AIG EXECS SHOULD EITHER APOLOGIZE OR KILL THEMSELVES? Vote Here "I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed," Grassley said Monday. "But I would ... Read Full Story

A government program that brings extra scrutiny to poorly performing nursing homes leaves out hundreds of troubled facilities, investigators report. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services identifies up to 136 nursing homes as "special focus facilities" subject to more frequent inspections because of their living conditions. In every state except for Alaska, there are between one and six such facilities. But investigators said four times as many homes, or 580, could be considered among the nation's worst. The report from the Government Accountability Office does not identify the homes. The chairman of the Senate Aging Committee said it indicated to him that the ... Read Full Story

The corn-rich heartland US state of Iowa will look a bit like a United Nations summit come mid-August, as diplomats from some 70 countries make an bi-annual pilgrimage meant to boost overseas trade. If past visits are any guide, Iowans might get to see a buttoned-up veteran of international relations get a rare opportunity to handle a live baby pig. Every two years, Republican Senator Charles Grassley invites each country with an embassy in Washington to send their ambassador and spouse, or another official, to experience his home state's hospitality first hand. The list of countries that have accepted an invitation to the August ... Read Full Story

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley says he remains hopeful a limited health care reform package can be negotiated. But the Iowa Republican says he believes a small group negotiating the issue agrees a government-run public option won't be part of the package. Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is among a bipartisan group of six lawmakers who are negotiating a compromise to overhaul the nation's health care system. Grassley told The Associated Press on Monday that he's hopeful, but a plan that could emerge would be "a little less sweeping than what we talked about before." Grassley says not all of the ... Read Full Story