Congressman Dave Loebsack told Iowa Independent he’s seeing a shift from foreign to domestic issues in the concerns he’s hearing from 2nd District constituents, but the war is still at the center of the public agenda.
“I can’t count the number of people who literally ask me ‘how much is the war in Iraq costing us,’” Loebsack said after an Iowa City stop, as he wrapped up a district tour. “Because they’re very aware of the tradeoffs, obviously. That’s money that could be better spent here in the United States rebuilding our infrastructure, education, health care, whatever the case may be. I’m hearing a lot of that.”
“Economic insecurity is a really important issue. Folks are very much aware not only of the news not only of recession, but there are many parts of this district where economic insecurity is a constant problem,” he said. “So that’s a big part of it, but also the whole question of priorities, which is related to that."
War policy per se was less on the minds of Iowa City constituents than the connected issues such as health care for veterans. Loebsack said everyone in both parties wants to put more money into veterans services, but there are differences in how to pay for it. "All the President has to do is ask for it," he said.
Civil liberties concerns were on the mind of Barbara Beaumont of North Liberty. Loebsack said he would have opposed the Military Commissions Act, which passed before he was eleted, and that his Armed Services chairman Ike Skelton is working on legislation to restore habeas corpus. "We have to do more, a lot of us are trying to make changes," he said.
"I'm doing the best I can to reflect the priorities I'm hearing from the people of the 2nd district,” Loebsack told the audience of about 40. “We have a finite budget pie, and that could be expanded by repealing tax cuts on the wealthiest. We're doing a pay as you go system in Congress now,” he said, citing the The College Cost Reduction Act which passed late last year. “While there's a certain limit on what's being spent, we managed to reprioritize things in at least a small way. Not nearly enough, we want to keep pushing on that in the next year. For me it's about making the choices you tell me to make."
“Those of us who are trying to change the country, like you told us in 2006, are at least as frustrated, because we're a part of it," Loebsack told a questioner who cited the unpopularity of the new Democratic Congress. "There is a lot more accountability happening now then people are aware," he told a questioner who asked about presidential impeachment. "The question is whether people will be held in contempt (of Congress) or not. At the same time, it's important to keep in mind that Congress has only so many days in a week so many hours in a day and we want to legislate. And oversight is a part of that.”
Loebsack refrained from political commentary when asked about Ed Fallon’s primary challenge to 3rd District Congressman Leonard Boswell, saying the forum was a constituency event and not a political event. He did note, “Leonard Boswell's been very good to me as a freshman, but I think I'll leave it at that for now.”
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