By Congressman Dave Loebsack Veterans Day provides all Americans an opportunity to reflect on the service of our men and women in uniform and to honor the sacrifices that have been made so that we may live in peace and freedom here at home. This Friday, our state and nation pauses to pay tribute to the generations of veterans who have served our country. As we gather together in remembrance, thousands of young men and women are serving our country overseas. I have had the privilege of visiting o... Read more

Congressman Dave Loebsack today joined veterans from Eastern Iowa at the World War II Memorial and presented them with copies of the Congressional Record statement he submitted honoring their service. The veterans visited Washington on an Honor Flight, which is an all expense paid trip for WWII veterans so that they can visit our nation’s capital and the World War II Memorial that was built in their honor. “These men and women are our nation’s true heroes. It is a privilege to meet them and pres... Read more

Congressman Dave Loebsack today issued the following statement after President Obama announced an initiative to help veterans enter the civilian workforce. Today’s announcement included pledges from private companies like Siemens, which is located in Southeast Iowa, to prepare, train and educate service members for life after the military. “With so many members of the Iowa National Guard returning home after their brave and honorable service, it is important that we provide them with the necessa... Read more

Congressman Dave Lobesack recently joined Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo of Guam in introducing a bill that would provide members of the National Guard with the appropriate Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) when transitioning between Active Duty and Full Time National Guard duty without a break in service. Under current policy, a National Guardsman who makes this transition will be paid the BAH or OHA based of their home of record and not their permanent ... Read more

Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that Shelter House Community Shelter and Transitional Services in Iowa City will receive $105,425 to provide job training for homeless veterans. This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP). “We have a moral obligation to serve those who have worn our country’s uniform with the same dignity and honor with which they have served our nation... Read more

The bipartisan, bi-state delegation that represents the Rock Island Arsenal today made clear to General Ann Dunwoody, the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, that any proposal to close or relocate Rock Island Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC) would be met with strong resistance in Congress. In a meeting in Washington, Dunwoody reassured the Illinois and Iowa delegation that the Army currently has no plans to close the JMTC, but could not disclose the work of... Read more

Members of the bi-state delegation that represents the Rock Island Arsenal, Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02), Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Congressmen Bruce Braley (D-IA-01) and Bobby Schilling (R-IL-17), today sent a letter to President Barack Obama upon learning that the President will be visiting the Quad Cities next week. In their letter, the lawmakers invite the President to visit the Rock Island Arsenal while he is in the area. “One of the features that makes... Read more

Congressman Dave Loebsack today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s plan to start bringing home troops from Afghanistan. Loebsack is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and has traveled to Afghanistan six times to meet with the troops and receive briefings from the commanders on the ground. “Our troops, including the 2,800 Iowa National Guard Soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, have bravely carried out every mission given to them and have made real progress acro... Read more

Congressmen Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02) and Bobby Schilling (R-IL-17), who serve on the House Armed Services Committee, today spoke with U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Commanding General Ann E. Dunwoody to discuss the future of the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC) at the Rock Island Arsenal. During the call, General Dunwoody reassured the Congressmen that RIA is one of the “centers of gravity” for the Army Material Command. Her comments were made in response to concerns raised by the C... Read more

The bi-state delegation that represents the Rock Island Arsenal, Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02), Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Congressmen Bruce Braley (D-IA-01) and Bobby Schilling (R-IL-17) today sent a letter to President Barack Obama following Dr. Malcolm O’Neill’s recent resignation as the U.S. Army Assistant Secretary at the Office for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, ASA (ALT). In their letter, the lawmakers reques... Read more