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Grassley visits Atlantic, discusses health care, NAFTA & more

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August 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley was in Atlantic last Friday, visiting with staff and administrators at the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Afterward, he spoke with KJAN’s Jim Field about health care and other issues, including NAFTA. (You can listen to the “Heartbeat Today” interview under the podcast link found at kjan.com, under the “Programs” tab)

With regard to healthcare, two separate approaches to the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) are being bandied about. Grassley said on one side, hearings are set for September on a Bi-partisan bill to deal with the issue. The other one, which could be bi-partisan, but is currently partisan, is picking up support.

US Senator Charles Grassley visited Cass County Health System on Friday, August 25th. After a tour of the facility with CEO Brett Altman, Senator Grassley met with CCHS administrators and staff. A number of healthcare issues were discussed, including the importance of continuing both the federal support for Medicaid and the 340B pharmaceutical program, which provides funding from pharmaceutical companies for discounted medications for patients. “We certainly appreciate Senator Grassley taking time to visit,” Altman said. “It was a great opportunity to showcase our first rate medical facilities and share with him the great work being done by our dedicated staff here at CCHS!” (Photo provided by CCHS)

Grassley says something has to be done to allow people to buy private health insurance. As for NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), Grassley says it’s important, especially for Iowa, not to have NAFTA upset. President Trump proposed getting rid of NAFTA during the election, but his views have since wavered, according to Grassley. He says Trump may be wanting to renegotiate NAFTA, and there is support from other changes, to at least make some updates or changes to, the agreement.

Grassley says the U-S has opened discussions with a hard bargaining position, but “That’s typical of how you start to bargain,” and he doesn’t think there will be a lot of damage done to NAFTA, particularly from the standpoint of agriculture.

And, with regard to President Trump’s threat to shutting down the government if he doesn’t see action soon on the border wall, Grassley said he hopes it’s just a bargaining tactic. He says experience has shown it’s costly to shut down and then at some point re-open the government. Shutting down the government, he says, “Would be a very bad thing to do.”

Grassley said also, he wishes the Press would focus more on what’s being accomplished in Washington than on what’s controversial, because there are bi-partisan efforts to move the country forward.