Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today:

“The events that happened today in Boston are appalling. My thoughts and prayers are with all those injured and the families and loved ones of those who were lost.  I would like to thank the first responders, members of the National Guard, and all those who responded and provided assistance to those who needed it.  As a nation, we stand with the people of Boston.”

Did you know that today, there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles. More than 475,000 administrative professionals are employed in Canada. Millions more administrative professionals work in offices all over the world.

Next week, April 21-27, 2013 is Administrative Professionals Day/Week.  APW was originally organized in 1952 as "National Secretaries Week" by the National Secretaries Association, now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), in conjunction with public relations executive Harry Klemfuss and a consortium of office product manufacturers. It was established as an effort to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative careers.

As you know, the Administrative Professional is the heart of the company.   They anticipate needs, connect stakeholders, track details, deliver results and ensure that business gets done.  When resources are stretched, they find solutions.  When roadblocks appear, they build workarounds. They adeptly jump from work involving technology, finance, customer services, logistics, contractors, the law, health care, human resources, taxes and government regulations all in one day and without blinking a well-trained eye.  The unlock the front door in the morning and are the last to leave at the end of the day.  Nothing happens in any business that doesn’t in some way cross their desks.

Davenport, IA – At an event today, standing with workers from the Rock Island Arsenal, Congressman Dave Loebsack announced that he is donating a day’s worth of his salary for every day that the Arsenal workforce is furloughed.  He will make donations to local charities that support Iowa families hit hard by these tough economic times.

“It is unacceptable that, through sequestration, Congress has asked everyone else but themselves to make a sacrifice.  Today, I am announcing that I will be donating a day’s worth of my salary for every day that the Rock Island Arsenal workforce is furloughed,” said Loebsack announcing his donation. “I am going to stand with those workers at the Rock Island Arsenal; the children who are losing Head Start education; the University employees who are performing important research projects, who, through no fault of their own, are being asked to shoulder part of the burden. It makes no sense to me that the only people that are not feeling any pain from sequester are members of Congress themselves.”

Loebsack has long believed that Members of Congress need to have a personal stake in our nation’s recovery. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation that would cut the pay of members of Congress by 10 percent.   This cut would be the first Congress has seen since 1933 – eight decades ago.   Loebsack called on Congress to immediately bring up and pass the bill.