Senator Joe Donnelly announced today that he will support the proposed Iran nuclear agreement. Donnelly serves on the powerful Armed Services Committee and was viewed as a potential swing vote. “A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an unacceptable threat to the security of the United States and our allies. Only one thing can truly guarantee Iran…
Indiana’s two senators took divergent paths in their votes on so-called “fast track” trade authority. Senator Dan Coats, a Republican who announced that he is retiring in 2016, voted to give President Obama the authority to finalize a free trade deal known as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Senator Joe Donnelly, a first-term Democrat, voted…
There are many things politically happening these days and our communities have been divided by political maneuvering and shameful tactics. I think that everyone can agree on one thing about politics: we need more transparency, honesty and consistency. I am an immigrant. I work full-time on the west side of South Bend serving our current…
Senator Joe Donnelly introduced a bill today that would give qualified members of the National Guard and Reserve a hiring preference for federal civil service jobs. The federal civil service hires based on a system that assigns value to applicants’ skills and experience. Human resource managers categorize candidates based on a set of criteria that…
Senator Joe Donnelly has come out in support of a constitutional amendment that seeks to curtail the massive amounts of campaign spending that now dominate federal elections in the United States. “I am concerned about how recent Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United, are impacting our elections and electoral process,” Donnelly said. “In the wake…
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will soon become law. The Senate passed the bill 99-0 on Tuesday. It had previously passed the House of Representatives and now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill requires an independent third party to evaluate the efficacy of mental health prevention programs…
Indiana’s two senators are sponsoring a bill that would repeal the medical device tax. The 2.3 percent tax went into effect in January 2013 as part of the Affordable Care Act. Senator Joe Donnelly, who has sponsored legislation in the past that would repeal the tax, says that it is “past time to repeal the…
Senator Joe Donnelly is leading an effort to change the definition of full-time employee in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. The ACA requires large employers with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance coverage to employees that work full-time. The act defines full-time employment as working 30 hours per week….
President Barack Obama has signed a new law aimed at preventing military suicides. Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana shepherded the bill through the Senate. A study commissioned by the US Army found that the suicide rate doubled from 2004 to 2009 among soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. The rate of 30 per…
President Barack Obama unveiled a bold plan yesterday that would provide protection from deportation for up to four million undocumented immigrants, while promising to step up efforts to curtail illegal entry at the border and prioritize the deportation of felons. While immigrant rights groups cheered the president’s executive actions, which he promised to take earlier…
