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Dem Senate Candidate Passed Just One Sponsored Bill After Four Terms in Congress

Bruce Braley’s signature legislative achievement: ‘Plain Writing Act of 2012’

Bruce Braley / AP
September 18, 2014

Republicans are bashing Rep. Bruce Braley (D., Iowa) for only managing to pass one piece of sponsored legislation into law during his four terms in Congress.

Braley sponsored the "Plain Writing Act of 2010," which became law in October of that year. That is the only bill he sponsored that was written into law during his tenure in the House.

The act required government agencies to ensure that their employees use "plain writing" in documents and inform the public about their efforts to comply with the law.

"After spending 8 years in Washington, the only bill that Congressman Braley has authored and passed Congress is a requirement that documents be written in plain English," said Republican Party of Iowa spokesman Jahan Wilcox in a statement. "After 8 years of rubberstamping Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama’s agenda, it’s no wonder Congressman Braley is now inflating his record to mislead Iowans."

The "plain writing" law adds to the GOP’s previous criticism of Braley as a former trial lawyer who is out-of-touch with Iowans. He said that he aims to talk with voters in "terms they can understand" in a 2011 radio interview. He also infamously called Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa)—a revered figure in the farmer-heavy state—a "farmer from Iowa who never went to law school" at a January fundraiser.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll gave Braley’s Republican opponent, Joni Ernst, a six-point lead in the closely fought Iowa Senate race.