Yesterday, the Hill reported that the Senate has held up 290 pieces of legislation that have already passed in the House of Representatives. One of those bills calls for the naming of a courthouse after former Congressman Jim Leach (R-IA).Leach represented Iowa's 2nd Congressional District from 1977-2007.  The signature piece of legislation for his career is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) -also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999. The bill was signed into law by President Clinton, and led to the creation of the financial services industry - a consolidation of commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms and insurance companies. Why would the Senate hold up a bill that would honor a colleague who served for 30 years in the legislative branch? Behind Door #1, a National Review report may provide an answer: Last August, former Iowa Republican congressman Jim Leach took office as the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. ...(Read Full Post)