Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement this evening after the House of Representatives voted on a second Continuing Resolution written to include the demands of the Tea Party. Senate leaders have already declared this bill dead on arrival and the President has said he would veto the legislation, giving it no chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law. If a commonsense, bipartisan agreement is not reached by September 30, when the current agreement expires, the government will shut down.

"Until House Republicans agree to put an end to the brinksmanship that is all too common here in Washington it does not appear that they have any real interest in reaching a commonsense agreement to keep the government running. The irresponsible and reckless actions of House leaders means some workers at Rock Island Arsenal would be furloughed, small business owners would stop receiving federal loans to hire and expand their businesses, home loans for middle class families would be delayed, veterans could see benefits delayed, lifesaving medical research pushed back, and 1.4 million men and women in uniform would have their pay delayed. Iowans cannot afford to pay the price of Republicans' games.

"Today's vote does nothing more than push our government towards a shut down and puts politics before the basic work Iowans expect Congress to get done. Instead of trying to delay protections for those who have pre-existing conditions, delaying protections for women to ensure they aren't charged more for their health care and delaying tax credits for middle class Iowans to buy health care, Washington must re-focus its energy on job creation and fixing the economy. While I had hoped House Republicans would take the simple steps necessary to avoid a shut down and move on from these political stunts, I remain willing to work with the other side of the aisle to move our nation forward."

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted on a Continuing Resolution written to include the demands of the Tea Party. The bill that was voted on today has no chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law. If a commonsense, bipartisan agreement is not reached by September 30, when the current agreement expires, the government will shut down.

"For the second time in as many days, the extreme Tea Party wing of the Republican Party has taken over and driven the House further away from reaching a commonsense agreement and getting the work of the American people done.  Let's be clear, today's vote does nothing more than push our government towards a shut down and default, threatening our economy and Iowans' jobs and retirement investments. If that were to happen, Medicare patients would have their care disrupted, veterans would see their benefits interrupted, and our men and women in uniform would have their pay delayed.

"Now that the Tea Party has gotten this out of their system, let's put the partisan bickering aside and get to work on the basics that the American people expect and avoid yet another self-inflicted wound to our economy. Instead of veering from one manufactured crisis to another, Washington must come together to re-focus its energy on job creation and the conditions necessary to promote it, while taking the difficult but necessary steps to substantially reduce the unsustainable deficit.  I will continue to work on a bipartisan basis to achieve these goals."

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that the law enforcement agencies in Clinton will receive $19,812 to support their efforts to prevent crime, keep our families and communities safe, and keep drugs off the streets. The funds come from the Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program, which is the only source of federal funding for multi-jurisdictional drug task forces that work to prevent, fight and prosecute drug-related and violent crime. The funding will be shared by the Clinton County Sheriff's Office and the Clinton Police Department and will be used to replace gas masks and accessories to help local law enforcement keep our communities safe and for drug intervention tactics.

"I have met with our local law enforcement officers many times, and have always been impressed with their dedication to protecting our communities and keeping our streets drug free," said Loebsack. "I have long been a supporter of Byrne JAG because it supports law enforcement agencies in their efforts to keep Iowa families safe. I will continue to fight to ensure that Iowa's law enforcement officers have the resources they need and are well equipped to serve our communities."

In 2008, Loebsack led the successful bipartisan effort in the House of Representatives to prevent Byrne JAG from being eliminated and has long been a strong supporter of this program.  That effort was supported by the National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriff's Association and the National District Attorney's Association, amongst others.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the number of furlough days civilian employees, including Rock Island Arsenal employees, must take was reduced to six.  Earlier this year, the Secretary had set the number of furlough days at 11 due to budget cuts that were created by sequestration and other budgetary factors. Loebsack has been opposed to these drastic cuts since they were created by the Budget Control Act, which he voted against.   He has repeatedly called on Congressional leaders to work to find a balanced, commonsense way to replace sequestration and responsibly deal with the fiscal situation facing the nation.

"While today's announcement by Secretary Hagel is encouraging news for the men and women at the Rock Island Arsenal, it is unconscionable that civilian workers were forced to take a pay cut because of dysfunction in Washington. I opposed the creation of sequestration and I adamantly opposed the decision to furlough any dedicated individuals who work every day on behalf of our troops and national security.  I remain committed to working on a bipartisan basis to replace sequestration with responsible deficit reduction that grows the economy and creates job.  I will continue to fight for the hardworking men and women at Rock Island Arsenal and the people who sequestration has affected most."