Loebsack Amendment to Save the 132nd Fighter Wing Passes Committee on Bipartisan Vote

Language prevents retirement of F-16s in Des Moines

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after his amendment to prevent the retirements or transfer of Air National Guard aircraft, including the 132^nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines, passed early this morning.  As the only Member of Congress from Iowa on the House Armed Services Committee, Loebsack offered this amendment to the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The Loebsack amendment was cosponsored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and was passed with strong bipartisan support.

"This is great news for the men and women of the 132^nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines and Air National Guard units across the country. The Air Force's original proposal made no sense for our national security, our ability to respond to emergencies here at home, or for the taxpayers. I am pleased that the Armed Services Committee agreed on a bipartisan basis and joined me in ensuring that our dedicated Airmen did not see their positions eliminated."

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, applauded Loebsack's efforts to ensure this amendment was passed.

"The hard work and dedication of Dave Loebsack helped save the jobs of over 370 Iowa National Guard Airmen and the Iowa National Guard fighters. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he immediately went to work to prevent the Air Force's proposed cuts from moving forward.  His hard work paid off and his commitment to the men and women of the National Guard and the Iowa Air Guard could not have been stronger," said Smith.

For specific information about the amendment, click here.

Also included in the NDAA, was Loebsack's legislation that prohibits reductions in the rate of Basic Allowance for Housing for members of the National Guard who transition from full time National Guard duty to active duty or from active duty to full time National Guard duty. Under current policy, some National Guardsmen who make this transition see their benefits reduced at a time when they and their families can least afford it because of a policy that changes how their benefits are calculated.

Loebsack also strongly supported a provision to reauthorize National Guard Counterdrug Schools like that the Iowa Guard runs at Camp Dodge (the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center).

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will offer an amendment today that would prevent the retirements or transfer of Air National Guard aircraft, including the 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines.  As the only Member of Congress from Iowa on the House Armed Services Committee, Loebsack offered this amendment to the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.  The Loebsack Amendment has bipartisan support from members of Committee, including the Ranking Member, and is expected to be voted on and accepted later today.

"I am very proud to offer this amendment.  The men and women of the 132nd Fighter Wing have proven time and again they are some of the hardest working and most experienced in the National Guard.  Their performance is second to none.  The proposal to move the F-16s out of Des Moines was short-sighted and wasn't a good deal for taxpayers or our national security. I am pleased the other members of the House Armed Services Committee agree and I strongly encourage the passage of this amendment," said Loebsack.

Earlier this week the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee voted to include funding for keeping the 132nd in Des Moines, but without this amendment, the program would still have been retired or transferred.

A Discussion of As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice 

Iowa City, IA - Riverside Theatre will host a Thursday Theatre Talk to complement its upcoming summer season, Riverside Theatre in the Park.

The hour-long discussion will be held on Thursday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City. The event is free and open to the public.

Join Shakespearean scholar Miriam Gilbert, Professor of English at the University of Iowa, as she discusses Shakespeare's As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice with directors Theodore Swetz and Kristin Horton.

As You Like It directed by Swetz and The Merchant of Venice directed by Horton will be performed at the Riverside Festival Stage in Lower City Park June 15 - July 8.

For more information 319-338-7672 or www.riversidetheatre.org.

President called for program in January's State of the Union address

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) introduced legislation today to create a national Veterans' Jobs Corps, a program that would seek to put unemployed veterans back to work using skills they developed in the military - to improve national parks, serve as police officers and firefighters, and work in communities.  Braley is the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

In his January State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to create the Veterans' Jobs Corps.  Yesterday in Albany, New York, Obama included the Veterans' Jobs Corps on a Congressional "To Do List" to create jobs.  Braley consulted with the White House while crafting the bill.

"One out of every four veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan is out-of-work.  The Veterans' Jobs Corps will reduce that number," Braley said.  "Men and women who've put their lives on the line for our country deserve every opportunity when they return home.  Why not provide them the chance to keep contributing to the nation they love, whether as firefighters, cops, or park rangers?  They've already rebuilt Iraq and Afghanistan.  It's time to give them the chance to help rebuild America."

The Veterans' Jobs Corps Act would allow the executive branch to create the Vets Jobs Corps program as a cooperative project between federal agencies.  Members of the jobs corps could be employed to improve public lands and national parks, prevent forest fires, work in public safety jobs like police and fire departments, and control floods.  Participation in the corps would be open to unemployed veterans and unemployed widows of veterans.

In his capacity on the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Braley has worked to reduce unemployment among veterans and create jobs for returning servicemembers.  Last October, Braley co-hosted a series of bipartisan field hearings on veterans' unemployment with Indiana Republican Marlin Stutzman.  In November, President Obama signed into law a pair of tax credits Braley had championed to give businesses incentives to hire unemployed veterans.  In February, Stutzman and Braley held another veterans' unemployment hearing in Washington.

A copy of the Veterans' Jobs Corps Act can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/Vpi

Audio of Braley discussing the Veterans' Jobs Corps can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.mydigitalmanager.com/index.php?a=ViewItem&i=7523