Third annual series of veterans town halls to coincide with July 4th holiday

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced that he will host a series of veterans town halls on his Serving Those Who Served tour with stops across the Second District. These forums will give veterans and their families an opportunity to speak directly with Loebsack. Staff will also be on hand for veterans to seek assistance if they are having issues with the Veterans Administration, or any Federal agency. At each stop, Loebsack will be joined by representatives from local Veteran Service Organizations, County Veterans Affairs Officers and other groups.

"As Iowans come together to celebrate the birth of our nation, we must take time to remember those men and women who fought for the freedoms we treasure. As a military parent and member of the House Armed Services Committee, I take great pride in Serving Those Who Served. I strongly believe that there is no greater responsibility we have as a nation than to ensure our servicemembers have the support, equipment, and training they need to safely carry out their mission and that we care for our veterans with the same dignity and honor with which they served. I look forward to meeting with veterans and their families to discuss issues important to them and provide any assistance my office can help with."

Loebsack will hold forums in Muscatine, Iowa City, Ottumwa, Ft. Madison, Burlington, Newton, Knoxville, Davenport, Clinton and Washington. This is the third year that Loebsack has hosted town halls specifically for veterans around the July 4th holiday. Veterans, their families and media are invited to attend.

 ###

The multimillionaire's cutthroat ethics haven't changed, he just chooses slightly different rhetoric

The following is a statement from Neal Waltmire, Communications Director for Illinois Freedom PAC, in response to Bruce Rauner's comments yesterday showing the multimillionaire's continued opposition to raising the state's minimum wage:

Bruce Rauner thought that we'd forget his multiple statements supporting LOWERING the minimum wage and his "adamant" opposition to raising it.

 

We didn't.

 

He thought that if he talked about his opposition to the minimum wage in a different way, that we might mistakenly think he would do right by workers.

 

We didn't.

 

He thought we'd forget his business record shows a greedy multimillionaire who only cares about his own power and profit.

 

We didn't.

 

He thought we'd forget that his business holdings show companies with a pattern of putting profit before people's well-being, even if regular people - those who can't afford a $2.5 million donation - die as a result.

 

We didn't.

 

He thought we wouldn't notice that his 'support' for upping the national rate to ours wouldn't raise wages here in Illinois and that his blessing for a minimum wage referendum came only after a bill was signed placing one on the November ballot.

 

We did.

 

His record shows Rauner can't be trusted to help Illinois' working families.

 

###

BETTENDORF, IA - After 20 years, Run with Carl organizers are lacing up their racing shoes one final time for the Labor Day Tradition.

"We've had a good run - no pun intended, and it's simply time for the race to come to an end," said Dick Schillig, race co-chair and father of Carl, who started the race to raise funds for a scholarship in his son's name.

Race organizers and the Schillig family would like to reach a record number of racers this year with a goal of 1,500 runners.

"It would be nice to finish on a high note as a special tribute to Carl and all of the community organizations, volunteers, sponsors and participants who have made the scholarship fund possible," said Juanita Schillig, race co-chair and mother of Carl.

The Carl D. Schillig Memorial Scholarship to assist Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley High School graduating seniors with college funding. The scholarship fund will continue thanks to many years of community support for the race. 2014 marks the 29th and 30th scholarships to be awarded.

The 2014 scholarship recipients are Kierstyn Feld, Pleasant Valley High School, and Tyler Henson, Bettendorf High School. Ms. Feld plans to attend Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and Mr. Henson will attend Maryville University in St. Louis, MO.

Runners can participate in the 20th anniversary final Run with Carl on Labor Day in Bettendorf, IA.

About the 20th Anniversary Final Run with Carl

The Bettendorf Rotary's Run with Carl will be held on Monday, September 1st. The 5 Mile Run and the 5K run/walk and 1/2 and 1-mile fun runs for children 12 and under start and finish at the Bettendorf Life Center (2222 Middle Rd., Bettendorf). Awards will immediately follow the races. The course remains the same as in previous years. Early bird entry fees are good through August 1st. Fees are $20 for the 5K Run/Walk or 5 Mile Run for no t-shirt and $25 for the 5K Run/Walk or 5 Mile Run with a t-shirt. The youth entry fee for the ½ and 1-mile fun run is $10.

If registered before August 1st, participants will be entered into a drawing for a free bike from Healthy Habits.

Race Day registrants are not eligible for awards so pre-registration is encouraged. Participants may register online only at runwithcarl.com.

About Carl D. Schillig

Carl Schillig was 15 years old when he was killed in a car-pedestrian accident in 1994. Carl was active in a variety of community, school and church activities. In commemoration of his life, the Run With Carl Walk/Run attracts participants to the challenging, but scenic course following city streets, neighborhoods and the Bettendorf Recreation Path.

For more information or to register, visit the website at runwithcarl.com or find them on Facebook by searching for "Run with Carl."

About the Bettendorf Rotary: The Bettendorf Rotary Club was chartered in 1957. The group meets every Wednesday at noon at Fortune Garden Restaurant (2211 South Kimberly Road, Bettendorf). They are the Title Sponsor of Run with Carl.

About the Carl D. Schillig Memorial Fund, Inc.: The Carl D. Schillig Memorial Fund was established in 1995 in memory of Carl Schillig who was killed at the age of 15 in a car-pedestrian accident. The fund provides a $4000 college scholarship to graduates of Pleasant Valley High School - which Carl attended - and Bettendorf High School graduates. With Carl's philanthropy as its inspiration, the nonprofit also distributes proceeds from the run to organizations in which Carl was active, including the Bettendorf Pleasant Valley Aquatics, the Cornbelt Running Club, and Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

-end-

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today welcomed Brianna Paup, the winner of the 2014 Congressional Art Contest to Washington. Brianna's drawing, Old Man, was selected in an online competition in which nearly 2,500 votes were cast to determine who would represent Iowa's Second District in the annual competition. Brianna, who is from Mechanicsville and just completed her Junior year at North Cedar High School, traveled with her mother to Washington to see her art work displayed and attend a reception held in her honor.

"Each year I am more and more impressed by the creativity, ingenuity, and talent of our local high school students and Brianna is no exception. It was a pleasure to welcome Brianna and her mom to Washington. I am glad they had the opportunity to visit our nation's capital and see her art work displayed."


Good morning, Chairman Rokita, Chairman Meehan, and Ranking Member Clarke. I'd like to thank you for holding today's hearing and thank our witnesses for being here.

More than ever before, technology plays an essential role in educating our children. Technology-based educational tools and platforms offer important new capabilities for students and teachers at both the K-12 and university levels.

The increasing number of educational iPad and iPhone apps, online study tools, and engagement programs illustrate the growing abundance of tech resources that are being used to meet students' individual learning needs.

These educational tools generate tremendous amounts of data that are instrumental in improving a student's learning experience. Data allows teachers to quickly identify and address gaps in student understanding before they fall behind.  And by making data available to parents, they can track their child's progress and participate more fully in their education.

Beyond addressing the needs of individual students, data aids schools in their institutional and administrative functions. School and district leaders rely on data to drive improvement and decision-making around curriculum, technology infrastructure, and staffing.

The availability of new types of data also improves researchers' ability to learn about learning. Data from a student's experience in technology-based learning platforms can be precisely tracked, opening the door to more accurately understanding how students move through a curriculum, and at greater scale, than traditional education research is able to achieve.

As data systems become more integrated into the learning and teaching process, we are seeing the impact that they can have on students, teachers, administrators, and policymakers. These systems enable teachers, schools, and districts to make more informed decisions to enhance student learning.

Meanwhile, a growing number of online educational services have the ability to enhance learning within the classroom and extend it beyond the school day. Edmodo, which is used by more than 20 million teachers and students worldwide, allows teachers to set up virtual classrooms and then post homework assignments and other content to extend lessons. Khan Academy has more than 5,000 instructional videos and assessments, which allow students of all ages to learn at their own pace in subject areas ranging from pre-algebra to differential equations, from art history to computer science.

With this explosion in online resources, there is a large amount of new data being generated by children using these services, which raises valid privacy concerns.

The privacy of student education records is protected under FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. When those student education records are hosted or analyzed by private companies that are helping districts build data systems to drive improvement, those same FERPA protections still apply.

However, when students use online services like Khan Academy?in school or at home?or when teachers use grade and behavior tracking software on their iPads, all of that data are not necessarily covered by FERPA. In those direct interactions between students and software companies, data are being collected to build user profiles, individualize the learning experience, and track progress, but in the cases where FERPA does not apply, it is not always clear what protections exist to guarantee the privacy of those data and ensure companies are not using them to target advertisements at children.

This committee will hear important testimony today about the value that these tailored technological resources provide to students themselves and the importance of ensuring access to data for teachers and researchers seeking to improve education. We'll also hear about the need for consistent privacy policies and current efforts to guarantee the security and privacy of student data.

As we examine the privacy concerns prompted by the rapidly growing education technology sector and the information it collects, it's clear that we must strive to find a balance between privacy and innovation. We must ensure that companies involved in collecting and analyzing student data are not exploiting students' private information for marketing purposes or financial gain.

Data are an invaluable tool. Data empowers teachers, guides individualized learning, and informs policy. As we consider where improvements are needed in privacy regulations, we must be sure that we do not compromise the value of student data.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.

Thank you very much.

Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats

###

Congressman: Cutting the services that Iowa's seniors rely on is the first step to closing these facilities entirely

Washington, D.C. - Days after joining over 100 lawmakers to express their opposition to cuts to vital services at Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today introduced legislation that would delay those cuts?arguing that SSA has done nothing to illustrate equivalent access to Iowa's seniors or cost savings.

Beginning August 2014, SSA will no longer issue Social Security number printouts in its field offices.  In addition, beginning October 2014, SSA field offices will stop providing benefit verification letters, except in emergency situations.  Many seniors rely on these verification letters for a variety of services. Those requesting this information would be able to do so only online or over the phone. Last year alone, 11 million Americans used SSA offices to request this information.

Braley's Seniors' Access to Social Security Act would prevent those cuts for one year, during which time Braley will seek verification that the proposed service cuts will not adversely affect Iowa's seniors and will save taxpayers money.

"They're cutting services that tens of thousands of Iowa's seniors access every year, and there's no indication it will save a penny?that makes absolutely no sense to me," Braley said. "Iowa has one of the highest ratios of seniors in the country, many of whom don't have internet access. The Administration needs to explain how those seniors will still have access to the services they need and how it will save money?and until they do that I'll remain strongly opposed to cutting services at these facilities."

 

"Making unwarranted and extensive service cuts to these offices moves us closer to permanently shuttering them, and leaving Iowa's seniors with nowhere to go," Braley added.

Iowa's 19 SSA field offices are located in Cedar Rapids, Decorah, Dubuque, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Burlington, Coralville, Davenport, Ottumwa, Council Bluffs, Creston, Des Moines, Ames, Carroll, Ft. Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City, Spencer, and Storm Lake.

Braley's legislation has been endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, Social Security Works, and The Strengthen Social Security Coalition.

Over 450,000 Iowa seniors received Social Security benefits in 2013.

A link to Braley's legislation is available online HERE.    

# # #

The U.S. - Japan Council Honors Senator Daniel K. Inouye with the "TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program," Launched as a part of the Government of Japan's KAKEHASHI Project

 

WASHINGTON, DC (June 23, 2014)--This summer, nearly 100 college students from four American universities will travel to Japan on a ten-day educational exchange program as the inaugural cohort of TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars.

The program was created in honor of the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, who believed that the relationship between the United States and Japan was the most important bilateral relationship in the world.  His commitment to public service, justice and U.S.-Japan cooperation inspired this program, which provides 200 American and Japanese university students the opportunity to develop a deeper mutual understanding of each other's cultures and people. The participants will also learn about Senator Inouye and his contributions to his state, country, heritage and the U.S.-Japan relationship. The program aims to broaden the perspectives of global leaders who will carry the future of U.S.-Japan exchange.

The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), a non-profit, Japanese American-led organization dedicated to strengthening ties between the United States and Japan in a global context, supports the TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars program as a part of the KAKEHASHI Project. Senator Inouye, along with other Japanese American leaders, created the Council in late 2008. The program is also part of the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership between USJC and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, which builds a new generation of American and Japanese young people through cross-cultural educational exchanges and leadership development.

"The Senator had an optimism and confidence in the next generation's ability to continue to make the world better," Irene Hirano Inouye, President of USJC who was also the wife of the Senator, said. "He was a strong supporter of TOMODACHI's vision of investing in young people in the United States and Japan to create the next generation of leaders in our countries."

This program is carried out under the Government of Japan's KAKEHASHI Project. The KAKEHASHI Project is a youth exchange project between Japan, the United States and Canada that aims to heighten interest in Japan and increase the number of overseas visitors to the country, as well as enhance international understanding of the nation's strengths and attractiveness. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida announced the launch of the program at the USJC Japan Symposium in May 2013.

The program is unique in that participants from the United States and Japan will learn about Japanese Americans, their history in the United States, and examples of their leadership in the legacy of Senator Inouye as well as through engagement with Japanese American leaders who are USJC members.

USJC selected four universities in the United States to participate in this program. Each American school is paired with a Japanese partner institution as follows:

  • Depaul University, (Chicago, IL) ----- Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto) 
  • Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA) ----- Sophia University (Tokyo)
  • University of Massachusetts Boston (Boston, MA) --- TBD
  • University of Hawaii, Manoa (Honolulu, HI) ---- Matsuyama University (Ehime)

Each school group consists of 23 students and 2 chaperones, one of whom is a faculty member, who are noted Japanese Americans in their field.

"I believe that the TOMODACHI SCHOLAR universities selected for this honor share a commitment to Senator Inouye's legacy in public service," said Dr. Kathryn Ibata-Arens, Director of Global Asian Studies who leads the group from DePaul University. "DePaul's mission is built on respect for diversity and service to community. Our DePaul scholars reflect this mission in their own life journeys and extensive expertise in international community service, despite their young ages." 

In addition to visiting historic and cultural sites in Tokyo and attending meetings centered on the legacy of Senator Inouye, each school group will visit one more city, typically that of the partner university and participate in activities with its students. The group from Loyola Marymount University is focusing on leadership and diversity. They have selected student leaders of campus organizations and looking at Senator Inouye's advocacy for disenfranchised or underrepresented groups as a model for leadership.

"As champion of those less fortunate, Senator Inouye's commitment to diversity inspired countless others to the call of service," states the LMU faculty lead Dr. Curtiss T. Rooks. "The program seeks to honor his legacy through the development of LMU student leaders from historically underrepresented populations in our University community."

The reciprocal portion of the program will take place during the 2014-2015 academic year, when 100 Japanese participants will travel to Los Angeles, CA, Washington D.C. and the city of their partner university, each site marking a stage of Senator Inouye's life and career. Japanese students will learn about Senator Inouye's contribution to politics and the Japanese American community while exploring historic and cultural sites in the United States.

"This experience provides students with an opportunity to consider how Hawaii can contribute to US-Japan relations," Dr. Dennis Ogawa, who leads the group from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, said. "Like the students on this program, Senator Inouye was proud to be an undergraduate of the University of Hawaii.  The people-to-people friendships and inter-cultural relationships he experienced were invaluable."

This program is administered by the Japan Foundation. The U.S.-Japan Council supports the implementation of this program, through coordination with the Japan Foundation and the Laurasian Institution. All U.S. participants will complete projects that reflect their understanding of Senator Inouye's legacy through this program, which will be featured by the Daniel K. Inouye Institute.

###

The U.S.-Japan Council is a 501(c) 3 non-profit educational organization that contributes to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations by bringing together diverse leadership, engaging stakeholders and exploring issues that benefit communities, businesses and government entities on both sides of the Pacific. By promoting people-to-people relationships, the Japanese American-led organization cultivates an international network, and collaborates with other organizations and institutions to develop programs that allow leaders to engage with their counterparts in the United States and Japan. The Council also develops the next generation of leaders committed to a vibrant and dynamic U.S.-Japan relationship.

ICS Nett Inc. (ICS), an established Washington D.C. consulting firm, has launched a new division that takes a fresh approach towards Human Capital Management. David Thielen recently joined ICS and was tasked with developing and launching a service that offers small businesses, mid-size and large enterprise customers credible and qualified talent. In just two months, Thielen, with a depth of skill and experience in Human Capital Management, helped create Customer Oriented Enterprise Resources (COER). COER is a practice that has been developed based on a combination of proven industry expertise and critical success factors that have enabled ICS to exceed its goals over the last decade. By combining proprietary technology built on data analytics with deep customer and mission success knowledge, COER achieves with its approach what no other firm has been able to realize with human capital management solutions.

"We wanted to make a statement not only with what we're launching but also by how we're launching it", says Thielen, Director of COER. "COER has developed a video announcing the launch of an ideology within the corporate arena. This is something that hasn't been seen before in our space and we hope it communicates at every level our commitment to innovation, our dedication to quality, and our position as a trendsetter in human capital management."

Watch the video here: http://www.ics-nett.com/coer

The video outlines how COER takes a unique approach by focusing on the client's enterprise and by targeting companies of any size and virtually every industry including energy, healthcare, media, legal and manufacturing. "The response to the video has thus far been fantastic", says ICS Founder and CEO Khurram Shah. "It has generated a buzz internally and I'm hopeful it will generate a similar buzz nationally as clients and customers begin to realize the unique benefits of this new service."

One such benefit of COER is its proprietary tracking software that matches the candidate's skill set with the client's requirement and environment. Additionally, every candidate is interviewed by COER's Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure they meet every requirement. "Our solution is based on the needs of our partners" says Becky Lewis, VP of Human Capital Management. "We interview our partners to understand not only their specific skill set in their industry but also to learn about their unique environment to ensure our candidates will be an ideal fit for their organization long-term."

###

About ICS Nett Inc.

ICS is a leading provider of innovative technologies and solutions within Intelligence, IT, ICT, Transit, Defense and Logistics markets located in Vienna, VA. ICS is an experienced company that is able to demonstrate significant expertise by partnering with its clients and by reducing the risks associated with traditionally long-term and large mission critical projects. ICS delivers success for its customers by combining carefully selected best practices and a refined agile methodology, with a mission-driven management approach. COER is the new Human Capital division targeting the entire United States to companies of all sizes. More information about ICS can be found at www.ics-nett.com

4 Reasons Why Some E-Cigs Are a Safer
Alternative to Traditional Smoking
CEO Applauds FDA's Proposed Regulations

The Food and Drug Administration is trying to get a handle on new smoking products, including electronic cigarettes, with newly proposed regulations that include banning sales to minors and requiring manufacturers to register all of their products and ingredients with the FDA.

"I like these proposals; the public needs clarity on smoking alternatives because we have 42.1 million adult tobacco smokers [CDC, 2012] who may be able to benefit from them," says Anthony Sarvucci, CEO of American Heritage International, (www.americanheritageonline.com), a company that develops e-cigarettes expressly for adult tobacco smokers who want to quit but have not succeeded.

"The bottom line is that we know how terrible traditional cigarettes are for people, but there has been a vacuum of information about e-cigs, which leads to a great deal of misinformation, some fear-mongering, and even simply making stuff up."

Sarvucci gives four reasons why some e-cigarettes are easily a better alternative.

•  According to the American Lung Association, the average cigarette contains acetone, found in nail polish remover; acetic acid, an ingredient in hair dye; ammonia, a common household cleaner; arsenic, used in rat poison; benzene, found in rubber cement; butane, used in lighter fluid; cadmium, active component in battery acid; carbon monoxide, released in car exhaust fumes; formaldehyde, embalming fluid; hexamine, found in barbecue lighter fluid; lead, used in batteries; naphthalene, an ingredient in moth balls; methanol, a main component in rocket fuel; nicotine, used as insecticide; tar, material for paving roads; and toluene, used to manufacture paint.

•  "Adult consumers of e-cigarettes deserve to know what they're smoking," says Sarvucci, who adds that minors "absolutely should not be smoking or vaping, period." American Heritage's vapor fluid contains water and three food-grade quality ingredients - kosher vegetable glycerin and vegetable propylene and natural flavoring, and the nicotine is derived naturally. "We're the only e-cigarette company for which all of the e-juice ingredients are sourced and mixed in the United States," he says. "Fluid for most other e-cigarettes is sourced and mixed in China and it often contains dozens of ingredients."

•  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes harm nearly every organ in your body and cause dozens of diseases. Cigarette smoke causes more deaths - combined - than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol consumption, motor vehicle injuries and gun incidents. "We've made significant progress against cigarette smoke in recent decades, but it's not only a problem of the past," he says. Almost half a million Americans will continue to die each year, even though they know the statistics as well as anyone, because they are severely addicted. "Mimicking an authentic smoking experience, like my company tries to do, at least gives these people a better option that's also healthier for the people around them," Sarvucci says.

•  Smokers deserve hope ... In American culture, we have a can-do attitude that is unique to the world, which largely accounts for our influence. We often have a tough time, however, admitting that an individual has a problem that's beyond his or her control. Smoking cigarettes is that problem for more than 40 million of our friends, family and neighbors.

"Look – I wouldn't have gotten into this business if it were to create new smokers," Sarvucci says. "I went this route because, yes, it's a highly profitable space, but it's also an extremely helpful alternative for traditional smokers. If you're a nonsmoker, ask yourself: What would you rather have in your body, a few edible compounds, water and naturally sourced nicotine, or nicotine accompanied by the chemical used to exterminate rats?"

About Anthony Sarvucci

Anthony Sarvucci is the CEO of American Heritage International, (www.americanheritageonline.com), a publicly traded company that manufactures, distributes and sells disposable premium electronic cigarettes. The product uses ingredients that are exclusively sourced and mixed in America, and is designed strictly as an alternative for tobacco smokers and chewers. Sarvucci is past president and co-founder of Prairie West Oil and Gas Ltd. and serves as an investment banking consultant.

Congressman discusses issue faced by hundreds of U.S. families encountering needless delays in adoptions from the Congolese government

Washington, D.C. -Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today met with Erin Peat of Dubuque to discuss stalled adoptions between American families and their children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  Erin and her husband Michael Peat legally adopted two children from the DRC, however in the final stage of their lengthy adoption process, the DRC issued a moratorium on the 'exit letters' necessary to finalize their adoptions and bring their children home to the United States.

Braley also met with families from Clear Lake, Bettendorf, and West Des Moines who all face similar delays.

"Meeting with Erin and hearing first-hand about the red tape separating her family makes the issue even more important to me," Braley said. "I cannot imagine being separated from my three children, and I will continue doing everything possible to ensure families like Erin's are reunited as quickly as possible."

Last month, the State Department announced that the Congolese government would issue a total of 62 'exit letters'?15 of which would be issued to American families?but the overwhelming majority of U.S. families have received no update from the Congolese government and their adoptions remain in limbo.

Approximately 460 families have had their adoptions suspended, but the Peats are one of only about 50 families that have had it occur at such a late stage in the process. They were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the DRC suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

Braley has written the Congolese Prime Minister, the Congolese Ambassador to the United States, and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for a resolution to this issue.

 

 

# # #

Pages