David Loebsack

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, over eighty Iowa veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War will travel to our nation's capital. Together, they will visit the monuments that were built in their honor by a grateful nation. For many, today will be the first time they will see the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. I can think of no greater honor than to be able to greet them and thank Iowa's--and our nation's--heroes for their service to our country. That is why I am deeply honored to join them for their visit to the National World War II Memorial to personally thank these heroes for their service to our nation and to pay tribute to the incredible sacrifice they made for our country. We owe these heroes a debt of gratitude and the Honor Flight demonstrates that we as a state and as a country will never forget the debt we owe those who have worn our nation's uniform. As a reminder of the service and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, I am proud to have a piece of marble in my office from the quarry that was used to build the World War II Memorial. Our World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans rose to defend not just our nation, but the freedoms, democracy, and values that make our country the greatest nation on earth. They did so as one people and one country. Their sacrifices and determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are both humbling and inspiring. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight and Iowa's veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brian Kading on his retirement from the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. He has spent the last 19 years as the Executive Vice President leading the organization during times of unprecedented change in the electric utility industry. Brian successfully guided the membership of the IAEC through deregulation in the mid-90s and has been the steady hand ever since. When winter storms struck the co-ops, Brian's leadership ensured that the IAEC was prepared to provide the high level coordination necessary to get the trucks and the crews from in and out of state to the areas that were most needed. Brian has been a tireless defender of the cooperative business model always keeping the organization focused on the cooperative principles. In recognition of his achievements, he received the William F. Matson Democracy Award, but in typical Brian Kading fashion, refused to accept the award and instead had the award given the IAEC grassroots advocates. Under his leadership the organization also received the Paul Revere Award which is a very proud accomplishment that recognizes a well-organized, highly motivated, broad based grassroots advocacy program. Brian Kading has exemplified the cooperative principles and has truly lived the phrase he coined: ``Truth, Justice and the Cooperative Way.''

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think that there is universal agreement among us in this body that No Child Left Behind, the most recent iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, needs to be replaced. I think a lot of folks have the same kinds of concerns I have about the Student Success Act, many of the provisions in that act. One of my major concerns--and, again, I think a number of us in this body can share these concerns--is that the bill lacks focus on or support for rural school districts. That is a big issue. I was raised in Iowa by a single mother, and I represented rural parts of Iowa for the last 8 years that I have been in Congress. I served for 8 years on the Education and the Workforce Committee. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I miss my time there from time to time, although I am enjoying my time on a new committee. But this issue is something that I think gets overlooked. I think that a lot of folks in this body really, through no fault of their own and certainly through no malice on their part, simply don't recognize or understand the needs of rural parts of our country, not just in Iowa, but around the country, and certainly the needs of rural students. I find myself as a former educator often educating my colleagues to some extent because they don't seem to understand sometimes--folks on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Chairman--that poverty is not just an urban problem. It is a rural problem as well, and it does exist in rural areas. I don't think we should deny the fact that fewer students from rural areas complete college than their urban counterparts as well. In fact, this gap is growing wider by the year. Again, these are issues that, if we think just a little bit, we understand exist out there in our society. And a large part of the problem is that rural students face unique challenges and barriers to access to resources. For example, many rural students may not have a proper Internet connection, if any at all, let alone enough bandwidth or a computer at home. So it is even more important that they are exposed to technology in school. We know about technology and how powerful it is in vastly expanding the educational options and opportunities available to students in rural areas, providing these students with a cutting-edge 21st century education regardless of geography. At the same time, technological tools have the power to transform the typical classroom experience into one that is more student-centered and provide teachers with more accurate information and feedback on student progress so they can better address the needs of struggling students-- something all of us would like to see happen. Also, many rural schools have a smaller workforce to draw from and struggle to find teachers for a wide variety of electives or advanced coursework. The students in these schools, I have no doubt--and I think most folks in this body have no doubt--would benefit tremendously from the use of technology to deliver, supplement, and personalize instruction and provide opportunities to these students they may not have otherwise. This amendment that I am offering is a simple one. It is supported by the National Education Association, by the School Superintendents Association, and the Alliance for Excellent Education. It would simply support the expansion of the use of digital learning through competitive grants to partnerships to implement and evaluate the results of technology-based learning practices, strategies, tools, and programs at rural schools. Mr. Chair, it is time for Congress to start paying more attention to rural communities. That is the bottom line. As cochair of the Rural Education Caucus, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment and to provide students in rural communities with the same digital learning resources as students in larger school districts, and I hope that we can vote for this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, due to an unavoidable absence from the House floor, I was unable to vote on the bills under consideration Wednesday, January 14, 2015. I would like to submit how I would have voted. On final passage of H.R. 37, the Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Businesses Burdens Act, I would have voted no. On final passage of H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act and the five amendments offered by the Majority I would have voted no. While I strongly support the underlying bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, I could not support the bill after the Majority added amendments that would put our nation's security at risk in order to make political points.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to act before the end of this year to improve access to care for low-income women in America. The Medicaid primary care bump, which expires on December 31st, should be extended and must be expanded to include women's health. The current program has improved access to care for low-income Americans by increasing reimbursement for primary care and vaccine administration codes in Medicaid to Medicare levels. However, women's health was left out of the original provision. I think it is critical that we correct this oversight. Ob-gyns deliver primary and preventative care to women, and an ob- gyn is often the only doctor a woman sees on a regular basis. In Iowa, Ob-gyns are considered primary care under our state Medicaid program. However, the federal law as written says they are not, making it harder for low-income women to get needed care. Extending and expanding the Medicaid primary care access bump would make care available to women in need. In Iowa, providers receive only 77% in Medicaid reimbursement compared to Medicare for primary services. This affects a physician's willingness to accept new Medicaid patients, and 23% of women Medicaid beneficiaries report problems with finding a new doctor who will accept their insurance due to low Medicaid payment rates, compared to 7% of Medicare beneficiaries and 13% of women with private insurance. I support extending the Medicaid primary care access bump and expanding it to include women's health so that all Iowa women can access the critical primary and preventative care services they need. I would like to thank colleagues of both parties for introducing legislation to do just this.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentleman from Idaho, Mr. Simpson. I didn't know that you did ``Oh, Pretty Woman'' and all these other songs. I can't wait, Tom, to see you back in Iowa. Madam Speaker, it is really an honor for me to be up here tonight to speak for and about Tom Latham. When I got elected in 2006, Tom had been here for some time, not a long period of time, but for 12 years. I knew about Tom from what I had read. I didn't know him personally. I was one of those folks who came to Congress with no one expecting me to get here, so I didn't know that many folks in this body certainly before I got elected. When I got elected, one of the first things I did was try to find out as much as I could about Tom Latham and meet with Tom Latham and work with him on a number of issues because I knew he had a reputation for working across the aisle. I also knew that he was very good friends at the time with Mr. Boehner, who subsequently became Speaker of the House, so I knew it was probably in my interest to get to know Tom Latham if I wanted to get things done for Iowa, even though Speaker Pelosi took over when I came. My job since I have been here, I believe, has been to work with both sides of the aisle, and Tom Latham is a model, as far as I am concerned, for doing exactly that. When I first came, you know, we had a lot of tough issues to deal with here in the U.S. Congress, and one of the things that happened very early on when I first got elected was the issue of the National Guard came up, and I was on Armed Services. A lot of those Guard folks were being deployed multiple times, and it was very, very difficult for their families. A number of us recognized that what we needed to do was build facilities, more facilities, upgrade facilities, get rid of those old National Guard armories and replace them with readiness centers that would be there to train and equip our troops in the event that we had to send them overseas on a mission, which we did many, many times, and Iowans proudly have served over the years, over these many years, in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places. We needed to construct those facilities also for their families, for their spouses, and for their children. So on the Armed Services Committee I did what I could in terms of authorization to make sure that the funds were there, and on the Appropriations Committee, of course, what Tom Latham did was make sure that we had the funding to make sure that we built those facilities as well. So we were able to work on that issue together. Then when the floods, the great flood of 2008 hit across Iowa, but mainly across the eastern half of Iowa--and it would include a lot of Tom Latham's district--a lot of it included my district, about half the damage was in my district alone. But I worked with Tom, I worked with Steve King, Bruce Braley, and Leonard Boswell. We really did a great job working on a bipartisan basis to make sure that what we needed in Iowa we got. So we worked very hard on that. Then also on veterans issues. When we heard about the scandal in Phoenix, the first thing I did was I contacted Tom Latham and said, ``Hey, we need to go to Des Moines together if that is okay with you. I know it is your congressional district--it is not mine--but let's go to Des Moines together and talk to the folks there about the Des Moines facility.'' I have been to the VA facility in Iowa City in my district many, many times, but I wanted to go to Des Moines, and I wanted to go with Tom, and I knew that he would work together with me on that to make sure that everything is right, and if it isn't right that we fix it. So he was very much open to that. He didn't hesitate for a second. That is the kind of person he is. That has been the kind of legislator he is, even at a time--and in this body we have seen a lot of ugliness over the years. It seems as though our politics in America has just gotten uglier by the day sometimes, and even in the middle of all that, when that has happened, Tom Latham has stood tall, he has stood proud as an Iowan. He has got a lot of common sense, like most Iowans do, and he works with the other side because he knows that the job is to get things done. That is what Tom Latham does. He has gotten things done. We are going to miss you, Tom, there is no question about that, and I think you know that probably better than we do. We are going to miss you. I know you have heard that from a lot of folks. Tom Latham, he is a humble Iowa guy, that is what he is. He has been able to get a tremendous amount done for his district, for my alma mater, Iowa State, before he lost that to Congressman King, and for any other number of folks in his congressional district over the years. I honor you. I honor Kathy. I am looking forward to seeing you later tonight, and thank you for everything, Tom. Farewell and good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for all of his hard work on this bipartisan bill. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act is absolutely critical to our economic recovery, and I am pleased this agreement came together in a truly bipartisan fashion. I am also pleased that this bill contains large portions of the SECTORS Act, which I introduced to close the gap between the kinds of skills workers have and the skills that businesses need. As I meet with business leaders in Iowa, what I hear time and time again is that they are unable to find workers with the skill sets they need to hire. I also hear from many individuals who are out of a job and struggling to find work that matches their skills. This is why my SECTORS Act is so important. It brings together businesses, labor organizations, and education and training providers to target workforce development efforts, and it fosters the kinds of skills that local businesses need right now. This bill requires local workforce development agencies to implement these sector partnerships to get people back to work and move our economy forward. I want to thank in particular Chairwoman Foxx, and I want to thank Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller and, beyond that, my friend Tom Harkin. I urge Members to support this legislation.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank my good friend and colleague from Illinois, who has been a real leader on this issue. Mr. Chairman, like Congresswoman Bustos, I rise in opposition to this amendment today. This amendment would harm our economy and would add greater stress to our prison system as well. Iowans and Illinoisans have waited for years for a solution on the Thomson Correctional Center. For too long, politics in Washington-- which I think is on display again tonight, unfortunately--got in the way of creating jobs in our region, and for me, it is in eastern Iowa. It is a type of partisan game that really must end. And I do appreciate the comments from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this. The Thomson prison will bring more than 1,000 new jobs at a time when families badly need them and will spur economic development in our region. Money for this facility was included in the FY14 omnibus bill that we just passed in January, and it makes no sense to me to prevent progress on a facility that we just voted to enhance 4 months ago. In addition to those economic benefits, I hope that I don't need to remind my colleagues of the fact that we have a capacity problem in our Nation's prisons. The problem only grows worse when we intentionally prevent more facilities from operating. And, again, while I understand the arguments that have been made tonight against it, those folks will not come here.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise this evening in strong opposition to this amendment. Put simply, this amendment would cost taxpayers. It would not be in the best interests of our military readiness, and it is not supported by the Department of Defense. This amendment is extreme in its intention. It overrides every other law on the books in terms of the management of the national defense workload by prohibiting the transfer of the workload from the private sector to the public sector. For years now, Congress and the DOD have established statutes, regulations, and policies for determining the correct mix of the workforce between military contractor and civilian. As the cochair of the Depot and Arsenal Caucus, I am deeply concerned that this amendment would put back into place a severely flawed system that would do significant damage to our organic industrial base, including to our arsenals and depots, at a time when it is critical that we maintain these facilities' capabilities to equip our troops. I proudly represent the Rock Island Arsenal, where thousands of highly skilled people work every day to equip our troops. Our organic industrial base has, time and again, shown its critical importance to our men and women in uniform. When our troops on the ground needed improved armor on their vehicles, it was the Rock Island Arsenal that was able to rapidly produce and field that lifesaving armor to protect our troops; and as a military parent, I am personally thankful that the workforce at Rock Island Arsenal and organic industrial base facilities across our country are there to equip our men and women in uniform. This amendment would starve our critical organic industrial base, sending it into a death spiral, undermining key elements of our national security infrastructure, and reducing our ability to meet our national security strategy. In addition to the impact on military operations, this amendment would also not produce the best value for the Department of Defense and for our servicemen and servicewomen. Again, it is not wanted by our Nation's military leaders. For these reasons, I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. LOEBSACK. I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. I regularly meet with seniors across Iowa, and far too often I hear that many of them are struggling to make ends meet, just as I am sure that many of my colleagues hear from their seniors as well. They tell me how much they rely on Medicare in order to stay healthy and just to afford their daily necessities. Mr. Speaker, our seniors did not get us into this fiscal mess that we are in today, and I think we have to keep that in mind. It is unfair to punish them for Washington's irresponsible behavior. That is why we have got to protect Medicare for seniors who have worked a lifetime to pay into it. This also is an issue I will say that is personal to me. I grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet. I often talked about how I grew up in poverty. My mom was a single parent who struggled with mental illness, and literally, in the fourth grade, we landed at the doorstep of my maternal grandmother. My grandmother often relied on Social Security survivor benefits to care for me and my siblings. Without the promise of health care through Medicare, she would not have been able to afford to put food on the table. No senior--and I think all of us in this body can agree--no senior should have to choose between paying their bills or paying for their medication. Mr. Speaker, replacing Medicare with a voucher system would end the guarantee of health care and financial security for our seniors as well. Vouchers would force seniors to pay more and more of their health care costs out of pocket. In these tough economic times, we need to find ways to be more efficient while maintaining quality care. I know that seniors don't want a voucher that forces them to buy insurance that may not meet their needs because they tell me that every single time I meet with them. They do not want their health care to be subject to the whims of insurance companies looking to make a profit when they, those seniors, get sick. They don't want higher costs, and they certainly don't want reduced benefits. They want to keep Medicare the way it is, a guaranteed benefit they can count on when they need it. They paid into it, and they deserve it. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this final amendment to the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of a critical jobs-creating policy for Iowa and our country that must be extended immediately, the production tax credit. Once again, Congress has allowed the job-creating production tax credit to expire. This is unacceptable. Now is the time to not just talk about job creation but to act on a policy that is a proven job creator. The production tax credit has helped revitalize our manufacturing base and build a homegrown industry. The wind industry supports some 80,000 jobs across the country and over 6,000 in Iowa alone. With Iowa a leader in wind power, the industry is investing in our rural communities and moving us toward a cleaner, homegrown source of energy. The last time the PTC expired, thousands of jobs were lost, including hundreds right in my district in Iowa. We can't let these jobs disappear again. The PTC must be extended.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2642. The form of the motion is as follows: I move that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2642) be instructed to agree to the following: (1) Section 4014 of the Senate amendment (relating to a 5- year authorization of appropriations to carry out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008). (2) Section 9002(a)(7) of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for the biobased markets program). (3) Section 9003(b) of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for biorefinery, renewable chemical, and biobased product manufacturing assistance). (4) Section 9005 of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for the biodiesel fuel education program). (5) Section 9006(b) of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for the Rural Energy for America Program). (6) Section 9007 of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for biomass research and development). (7) Subsection (f) of section 9011 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as proposed to be amended by section 9009 of the Senate amendment (relating to funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program).

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, over 90 Iowa veterans of World War II and the Korean War will travel to our Nation's capital. For many of these veterans, tomorrow will be the first time they will see the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial that were built in their honor. They will travel to Washington as part of an Honor Flight. These flights demonstrate that we as a State and as a country will never forget the debt we owe those who have worn our Nation's uniform. We truly owe these heroes a debt of gratitude for their selfless service to our great Nation. On the eve of their visit, I rise to humbly thank these Iowa and American heroes for their service to our country. Their sacrifices and determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are truly humbling and continue to inspire us today. Their generations and our country did not seek to be tested. But, when called upon to do so, they defended our Nation abroad and rebuilt our Nation here at home to make it even stronger. They rose to defend not just our Nation, but the freedoms, democracy, and values that make our country the greatest Nation on earth. Their patriotism, service, and sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our Nation and the American people. Their legacy endures today. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities and Iowa's veterans of World War II and the Korean War to our Nation's capital. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our great Nation.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, over eighty Iowa veterans of World War II and the Korean War have traveled to our nation's capital. Together, they will visit the monuments that were built in their honor by a grateful nation. At a time of great division in our capital, our veterans of the World War II and Korean War generations remind us not only of the best of our great nation but also the unity with which our nation responded to great challenges. For many of these heroes, today will be the first time they will see the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. I am humbled to have the opportunity to personally thank these heroes on behalf of every Iowan I represent for their service to our nation and to pay tribute to the incredible sacrifice they made for our country. We owe these heroes a debt of gratitude and the Honor Flight demonstrates that we will never forget the debt we owe those who have worn our nation's uniform. Our World War II and Korean War veterans rose to defend not just our nation, but the freedoms, democracy, and values that make our country the greatest nation on earth. They did so as one people and one country. The sheer magnitude of what the Greatest Generation accomplished, not just in war but in the peace that followed, continues to inspire us today. Their generation and our country did not seek to be tested but when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our nation to make it even stronger. Their patriotism, service, and sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our nation and the American people. Their legacy endures today. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight and Iowa's veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. I was raised by a mother who struggled with mental illness her entire adult life. I personally know firsthand how important timely and proper intervention and care are for those who are struggling and how important that care can be. I want to the thank the mental health advocates who have contacted me or whom I have met at Iowa events to raise awareness in my district, events such as the walks hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Hearing from those at home in Iowa who are personally affected by mental illness on a daily basis has strengthened my resolve to continue to fight to make improving access to mental health care for all Americans a top priority. Mr. Speaker, it is time to end this shutdown of government and get back to work on the critical issues that face our Nation, including a mental health system that will work for all those who are struggling, as my mom did for so long.