I cannot believe that I am already almost halfway through my internship! Today marks the end of week three, which was cut a little short due to Memorial Day. With the day off, I took the opportunity to spend some intentional time with my family. The day's activities consisted of pictures, cornhole, badminton, and ribs! Moments like these make me extra thankful for the opportunity to intern at a location close to home :) I am confident that these are the types of memories that my grandfather—a Vietnam veteran—would want my family to be doing on this day. To honor him, and all veterans, my family took the opportunity to celebrate, reflect, and thank those who risk their lives to serve our country.
Memorial Day Family Photo
During this week, the National Guard hosted twenty-four sendoff ceremonies throughout Iowa for soldiers who are being deployed. I had the opportunity to join my supervisor in attending the ceremony in Dubuque on behalf of Senator Grassley. Here, I had the chance to be introduced to the chaplain, captain of the troop brigade, and Mayor Brad Cavanagh! Additionally, I met and made connections with the Regional Director of Senator Ernst’s Cedar Rapids office, Kim Reem. Upon completion of the ceremony, the troops said their last goodbyes as they packed their luggage before boarding the buses. Personally, I found this event to be both an exciting and somber experience. I think the Mayor said it best when he touched on the night’s emotions. As I witnessed the soldiers’ pride and eagerness to serve our country, as well as the emotional family members who have to say the most difficult “see you laters,” I felt a true sense of gratitude for these soldiers who have decided to risk their lives for my freedom. Seeing all of the soldiers’ bags on the ground felt too real. It is an image that you only ever see through a screen, but when you see it with your own eyes, their bags carry a more tangible and meaningful weight. That day, I gained a whole new level of respect and appreciation for our country’s soldiers.
Soldiers’ Luggage Waiting for Loading
Crowd for Dubuque Sendoff Ceremony
Picture with the Dubuque Mayor, Brad Cavanagh
As mentioned in previous blog posts, many constituents contact Senator Grassley’s offices requesting assistance to solve issues with federal agencies. However, before this process can be started, the constituent must fill out a privacy release form. Obtaining this information is essential for the Senate offices to accept and assign the constituent’s casework. This form gives Senator Grassley’s offices permission to handle the constituent’s private information in order to help them with their issues or connect them with the proper federal agency. While I do not handle casework, I have successfully provided constituents with instructions on how to access, fill out, and return the privacy release to our office, either through the postal service or via email.
During the congressional-member case study that I was assigned in American Political Institutions, I found a decent amount of helpful information on the representative’s government website. Similarly, Senator Grassley posts a lot of useful information on his government website, including his voting record, news releases, and biography. Additionally, various ways to contact or stay updated with the Senator’s actions are also included on the website. Located in this section under the title “Help With Federal Agencies,” is the Privacy Release Form.
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution One, otherwise known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. One issue that I hear being brought up by constituents is relevant to section 70302, “Restriction on Enforcement.” This section states that “No court of the United States may enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c), whether issued prior to, on, or subsequent to the date of enactment of this section.” Due to curiosity about this provision, I decided to conduct my own research. However, in order to understand this legislation, I needed to know what Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) stated. This procedure states that courts are required to collect a security bond when issuing an injunction or temporary restraining order (TRO). This security bond acts as a financial safeguard in case the court later finds the order to be unjustified. However, many judges have waived this bond, enforcing injunctions without any financial accountability. Therefore, this provision in section 70302 is not changing the law but simply enforcing it more strictly. With this legislation, courts can still issue injunctions; however, the contempt citations cannot be enforced, unless a security bond is included. In my opinion, it seems as though this provision is just ensuring that the originally intended legal procedures are being followed properly, providing fairness to both parties in court.
Throughout this week, I really learned the importance of community engagement. Attending the National Guard sendoff not only gave me the opportunity to meet some honorable individuals, but also to experience something that I had never experienced before. This event, and others like it, are a perfect way for senators and representatives to connect with their constituents and express their genuine care for the community and the people that they serve. Representation is not just about writing and voting on legislation, it is about showing up for the people you serve and really connecting with the community!