From Dave's Desk

Communication with the people in his district has been a strong theme of Rep. Dave Loebsack's term so far. After he was elected he held constiuent meetings around the district before he went to Washington. Since being sworn in, Rep. Loebsack has come back to Iowa almost every weekend to meet with constiuents.

To keep with this theme Rep. Loebsack has begun writing a weekly column called From Dave's Desk. Here is the first edition...

From Dave's Desk

Friday, March 16, 2007

On March 12th, in 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his renowned fireside chats. In his fireside chats, FDR shared his hopes, plans and dreams for the nation. He initiated a conversation with the American people and asked each American to "tell me your troubles." Today, our nation is, thankfully, not facing a Great Depression. What we are facing is a prolonged war, rising college tuition, a mounting federal deficit, and soaring healthcare costs, among other concerns. In this weekly column, I hope to maintain open communication between Iowa's second district and Washington, D.C. in order to provide realistic solutions to the challenges ahead and work to improve our communities, our state, and this great nation.

I want to begin by telling a little about myself, my desire to serve, and what I have done so far while representing the second district. While campaigning for Congress I traveled across Iowa's Second Congressional District, sometimes even biking and walking. I visited our largest cities and our smallest towns. While the landscape varied, one thing remained the same. People were working hard but struggling to make ends meet. I listened to your concerns about being able to fill up your gas tanks, put food on your table and provide your children with a quality education. With growing uncertainty and little or no confidence in government, people felt they had nowhere to turn for help. This is why I ran for Congress. I wanted to restore the lines of communication, fight for Iowa's families and show that government could once again be a positive force in people's lives. In short, I wanted to restore hope and opportunity to my neighbors.

During the first months of this new Congress we have made great strides to improve people's lives. I am proud to serve the people of Iowa in this Congress. I supported legislation to increase the minimum wage to help lift people out of poverty, reform Medicare Part D to reduce the high cost of prescription drugs, cut student loan interest rates in half and increase Federal Pell Grants to make college more affordable and accessible. We increased federal investment in renewable energy to produce a cleaner environment and more jobs in Iowa. This was accomplished under our new, more stringent, ethics and spending rules.

Everyday I step onto floor of the United States House of Representatives I am driven to fight for my constituents. Your needs are my primary interest. I return to the district at every opportunity so I can listen to the concerns of every Iowan because your priorities are my priorities. In the coming months I hope to build on our accomplishments, to provide even more relief, support and security to everyone in Iowa's Second Congressional District.

My priority is to provide the best representation and constituent service possible. I wish to re-open a regular dialogue between Iowans and our U.S. Congress. To that end, if you have questions, concerns or comments please contact my district offices at 1 (866) 914 - IOWA (4692) and visit my website at www.loebsack.house.gov where you can get helpful information and contact me electronically.