Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that he will kick off the August District Work Period by hosting a series of forums on his "Getting Iowans Back to Work" tour. At these forums, Loebsack will bring together businesses, labor organizations, local stakeholders, and education and training providers to discuss the SECTORS Act. This legislation, a jobs and workforce investment bill that Loebsack introduced in the House, creates partnerships to help close the gap between the kinds of skills that workers have and skills that businesses need. Large portions of Loebsack's SECTORS Act were recently signed into law by the President as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

"When traveling around Iowa meeting with business leaders, I hear time and time again that they can't find workers with the skill set they need to be able to hire, despite high unemployment rates," said Loebsack. "There is a gap between the kinds of skills that workers have and the skills that businesses need. The tools created by the SECTORS Act work to address this gap by targeting workforce development efforts to foster the kind of skills that local businesses need right now."

Loebsack will hold forums in Burlington, Ottumwa, Muscatine, Davenport, Newton, Keokuk and Osceola. Media are invited to attend.

Background on the SECTORS Act

Loebsack's SECTORS Act links together businesses, labor organizations, local stakeholders, and education and training providers connected to a particular industry. These partnerships work to develop or implement plans for growing or saving that targeted industry, promoting long-term competitiveness and advancing employment opportunities for workers. The inclusion of the legislation will ensure employees on the local level are properly trained so they can effectively compete in the 21st Century global economy. Loebsack first introduced the SECTORS Act in 2009 and the House of Representatives unanimously passed it in 2010. While it was not taken up in the Senate at that time, Loebsack continued to fight for its passage.

Yes.  Bustos supports a law that cut $700 billion from Medicare and will kick 7.4 million seniors off their Medicare Advantage plans by 2016.

EAST MOLINE, Ill.?Congresswoman and Obamacare supporter Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) has mostly avoided discussing her support for the President's failed health care law during her first term. However, her campaign manager, Jeremy Jansen, couldn't help himself on Monday as he defended Obamacare and argued that we need to "move forward" on implementing the law.

Jansen plead ignorance to the increased cost of health insurance that hard-working taxpayers are now facing, instead launching into a series of generic talking points against Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) in an effort to change the subject. 

Jansen should be praised for his noble effort at damage control by trying to deflect attention from Bustos' support for Obamacare?after all, his boss not only supports higher insurance rates for hard-working taxpayers, but she also supports taking Medicare away from seniors living on a fixed income.

Politifact famously called President Obama's empty promise "if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan" the 2013 Lie of the Year. That's because millions of Americans are losing their health insurance under Obamacare. This empty promise is now affecting seniors on Medicare Advantage as well because of the $700 billion in cuts to Medicare written into the President's failed health care law. Nearly half of the 15 million seniors on Medicare Advantage are projected to lose their coverage by 2017.

Bobby Schilling, candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th District, said that Medicare should be preserved and protected from politicians like Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) who are hellbent on destroying it.

"Medicare is on a collision course with bankruptcy, and Cheri Bustos is driving the car right toward it," Schilling said. "I disagree with the Congresswoman?I do not support cutting $700 billion from Medicare to promote the President's failed health care law. I do not support destroying Medicare Advantage as we know it. A promise made is a promise kept, and I am committed to keeping Medicare and Social Security solvent for current and future generations."

Jon Schweppe, communications director at Bobby Schilling for Congress, said that Bustos has the wrong priorities and is displaying a complete lack of regard for her struggling constituents.

"It's bad enough that Cheri Bustos wants to crush hard-working taxpayers with ridiculous health insurance rate increases, but now she's going after seniors living on a fixed income, too," Schweppe said. "Why hasn't Cheri Bustos introduced a bill to reverse the $700 billion to Medicare cuts? Why won't she help the more than seven million seniors who are set to lose their Medicare Advantage coverage? Cheri Bustos continues to put loyalty to Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama first, while displaying a complete disregard for seniors living on a fixed income and hard-working taxpayers living paycheck to paycheck."

Bobby Schilling was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois. He has been married to his wife, Christie for 27 years and together they have 10 children. Schilling represented the Illinois 17th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2012, serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Agriculture Committee, and the House Small Business Committee. Schilling is seeking another term and is running against incumbent Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline).

Brett Phillips has five of Quad Cities' 10 home runs in the last five games for a team total of 29 in July

DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 30, 2014) - Brett Phillips became the first Quad Cities player in at least 16 seasons to homer in five straight games, and A.J. Reed homered for the second time in three Midwest League games, but the Clinton LumberKings overcame a 4-0 deficit and scored the deciding run in the ninth inning of a 6-5 win for the visitors in front of 2,977 at Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday night.

Quad Cities (21-17 second half, 56-51 overall) and Clinton (14-24, 44-62) were scoreless until the fourth inning. River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee struck out five in his first four innings, while LumberKings right-hander Seon-Gi Kim struck out the game's first four batters and recorded the first six outs on strikeouts. Kim had retired 10 of the first 11 batters when first baseman Chase McDonald hit a one-out single in the fourth inning for his team's first hit. Reed hit the next pitch from Kim over the right-field for his second hit - and second home run - in the Midwest League. Lee kept the 2-0 lead by getting his third ground-ball double play of the night in a scoreless top of the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, River Bandits third baseman Marc Wik hit a double down the left-field line, and two batters later, with shortstop Thomas Lindauer at the plate and one out, an opossum came onto the field and delayed the game briefly. Once it was removed from the field, Kim fanned Lindauer for his season-high eight strikeout, but Phillips followed with a home run to right-center field.

Phillips' home run was his 12th of the season and his career and gave Quad Cities a 4-0 lead. His home runs in five straight games is a feat unmatched by a Quad Cities player since at least the 1998 season. In July, Phillips has eight home runs - the most in a single month by a Quad Cities player since Tyler Greene hit nine in July 2006. The River Bandits' 29 home runs in 27 July games are their most in a single month since hitting 30 in 31 games in May 2012.

Once Lee started the sixth inning, the lead did not last until the first out. A walk by center fielder Aaron Barbosa and single by shortstop Jack Reinheimer preceded a two-run triple by left fielder Chantz Mack, who scored on designated hitter Justin Seager's RBI single to chase Lee after five-plus innings, in which he allowed four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Left-hander Chris Cotton came in and allowed a game-tying triple by catcher Marcus Littlewood and a go-ahead single by first baseman Jeff Zimmerman for a 5-4 Clinton lead. Cotton got the next three outs and did not allow a run in the rest of his 2 2/3 innings.

After Kim allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks in five innings, left-hander Paul Fry inherited a 5-4 lead to start the sixth inning. Catcher Brian Holberton singled to left field and went to second on an error by Mack, went to third base on a single by left fielder Ryan Bottger and scored on Wik's sacrifice fly. Quad Cities would get only one hit in its final 11 at-bats and was out-hit by Clinton, 12-7.

The 5-5 tie remained until the ninth inning, when right-hander Andrew Walter allowed singles by third baseman Martin Peguero and second baseman Luis Caballero. A fielder's choice on a bunt, a wild pitch and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Mack hit popup that Lindauer caught sliding in foul territory behind third base, on which Caballero scored the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, right-hander Kevin McCoy allowed a leadoff single to Bottger but stranded the tying run at second base to end his team's six-game losing streak.

Quad Cities plays the rubber match of its three-game series with Clinton at 7 p.m. Thursday. River Bandits right-hander Michael Feliz (6-3) is scheduled to face LumberKings left-hander Blake Holovach (5-4).

UP NEXT: "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase will appear at Modern Woodmen Park for Pro Wrestling Night on Thursday. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for a Thirst-Day with $2 drink specials presented by the River Cities' Reader. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, and Space Camp opened June 20; the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line has also reopened. Soon to come is another new ride, this one called a "Drop and Twist." In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.