David Wayne "Dave" Loebsack (born December 23,
1952) is the Congressional Representative for the 2nd District of
Iowa in the
United States House of
Representatives. He is a member of the
Democratic party and the
Progressive Caucus. Prior to
entering Congress, he was a professor of political science.
Loebsack
was born in Sioux City,
Iowa
and was raised in a single parent, lower class
household. He graduated from East High School and
attended college at Iowa State University
. There, Loebsack earned both a bachelor's
and a master's degree in political science.
After receiving a
PhD from the University of
California, Davis
, Loebsack took a job as a political science
professor at Cornell
College
, a small liberal arts college in Mount Vernon,
Iowa
. Today, he serves as a Professor Emeritus.
Loebsack
started the Linn Phoenix group, a fundraising arm of the Linn
County
Democrats.
In 2006 Loebsack defeated 15-term incumbent
Jim Leach, a moderate Republican who was one of
only a handful of Republican congressmen who had voted against
authorization for the use of force in Iraq. Loebsack entered the
Democratic primary as a write-in candidate after failing to get the
required number of signatures, but did not face an actual primary
opponent. In the general election he took 51% of the vote to
Leach's 49%. His was one of 30 seats to be picked up by the
Democrats in Congress during the 2006 elections.
[349226] Loebsack's victory was one of the
biggest upsets of the cycle, even though the 2nd had been trending
Democratic for some time.
He was sworn into office on January 4, 2007.
He won reelection in
2008, receiving 57% of the vote against medical doctor and
political novice Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa
, who took
39%.
Loebsack visited Iraq in February, 2007. He has a step son serving
there as part of US military actions in that nation.
Loebsack represents a district that was hit hard by the
June 2008 Midwest floods. According
to his website, the flood damaged his local congressional office
and forced its temporary closure. Loebsack has pushed for the
federal government to provide full funding for emergency services
and for removal of debris left behind by the flooding.
Agriculture
Residing and serving the primarily agricultural state of Iowa,
Loebsack has also worked to improve agriculture legislation.
Between 2007 and 2008, Loebsack received ratings between 93 and 100
from prominent interest groups such as the National Association of
Wheat Growers, National Farmer’s Union, and the United Fresh
Produce Association. Based on his positive ratings, in addition to
the Agribusiness sector’s contribution to his campaigns,
agricultural groups approve of Loebsack’s work in the area of
agricultural legislation.
Defense and National Security
David Loebsack has consistently voted for legislation involving the betterment of the Homeland Security and Defense departments. Recently, he voted yes to a bill, which authorizes $46.18 billion in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Overall, Loebsack has supported the National Security effort, declaring foreign nations should be held accountable for terrorists operating in their country. However, he has adamantly rejected the idea of pre-emptive military strikes against foreign nations. Loebsack was selected to serve on the House Armed Services and has recently participated in discussions concerning the National Defense Authorization Act.
Environment
Loebsack strongly advocates for the environment. He received high
interest group ratings from Environment America, the Defenders of
Wildlife Action Fund, and the
League of Conservation Voters.
The
American Land
Rights Association, an interest group that advocates for
private land-owning rights, gave Loebsack a rating of 0 in
2008.
Education Interest Group Ratings
Loebsack also received high ratings from education-based interest
groups such as the
American Association of
University Women (a group that promotes “education and equity
for women and girls”), the
National Education
Association, and the National Association of Elementary School
Principals. On November 13, 2009, Loebsack received the Council for
Resource Development Congressional Award given to a “U.S.
Congressperson or Senator who has assisted significantly in the
passage of legislation or other support that benefits higher
education, particularly community college education.” In addition,
Loebsack has sat on the House Committee on Education and Labor.
This committee has been active recently in reducing and eliminating
the high school dropout crisis, which, experts predict, will affect
the economic stability and growth of the United States in the
coming years. Nationally, only about 70% of students graduate high
school and about 7,000 kids drop out of high school each day. The
recent Graduation for All Act, proposed by Democrats (including
Loebsack) on the committee, would help struggling districts by
establishing grants to help turn around their lowest performing
high schools.
Campaign Contributions
His
largest campaign contributions from the 2008 election cycle came
from ActBlue, the University of
Iowa
, and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Recent Votes
He recently voted for the House version of the Health Care Bill (HR
3962).
Local Efforts
Loebsack continues to work hard for the constituents of
Iowa's 2nd congressional
district.
He is urging that funding be included in the
2010 Water Resources Development Act for a flood protection plan
for Cedar Rapids,
Iowa
after major flooding occurred in Cedar Rapids in
2008. He also has been working to help unemployed Iowans by
introducing “legislation to expand extended unemployment benefits
in Iowa, and other states.” Extensions to the first-time homebuyer
tax credit and small business tax credits are also included in the
bill.
Committee assignments
Electoral history
- 2006 election
- David Loebsack (D) 107,097, 51%
- Jim Leach (R) 101,386, 49%
References
- desmoinesregister.com
- cnn.com
- [1]
- desmoinesregister.com
External links
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search