By Stacey Murray
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Washignton, D.C. — Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, is the lone-ranger Iowa Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. And while he says he has strong history of bipartisanship, he’s taking early and forceful efforts to bring other Democrats into Iowa’s delegation.
Loebsack, the representative for the 2nd Congressional District, which covers Iowa City and most of southeast Iowa, is in his fifth term but his first-ever term as the solo Democrat from Iowa.
When Loebsack began his tenure in 2007, Democrats represented three of Iowa’s five congressional districts. In 2013, Iowa went from having five congressional districts to having four, and they were were split between the parties. And, after longtime Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin retired at the beginning of 2015, Loebsack became the only Democrat in Iowa’s delegation for the first time since the 83rd Congress between 1963-1965.
But Loebsack maintains he does work amicably with Iowa’s other representatives.
Rep. David Young, R-Iowa, said, “Dave Loebsack and I work very well together,” and Rep. Steve King echoed his statement.
“Dave Loebsack is the lone Democrat, but we’ve got good relationships, and we have for a long time,” King said from a leather chair in his office at Rayburn House Office Building.
In fact, Loebsack said Iowa’s two newest lawmakers have reached out to him.
“Those two new folks — [Rod] Blum and [David ] Young — they have come to me and talked to me about you know, dealing with issues on a bipartisan basis,” Loebsack said. “And where I can, I do it, and where I can’t, I don’t.”
Loebsack admits not much legislation passes in an election year despite these bipartisan efforts, and Iowans have told him this.
“That’s what I hear all the time that people want me to do — put down the political arms and work with together with each other, work across the aisle,” Loebsack said. “It’s the leaderships that prevent that from happening.”
So far, he’s focused on a bill in the House that Internet service providers temporary regulatory relief from the FCC with the hopes these companies will expand broadband into more rural areas throughout the state.
His other priorities include working to limit regulations that prevent people from selling ethanol in the summer — something he says doesn’t make sense in Iowa — as well as providing relief to critical-access hospitals.
So, his priorities seem to be split: He needs to represent Iowans while also trying to get a Democratic ally on Capitol Hill.
Loebsack has endorsed Democrats in every other district, even before the primaries in June. They include Monica Vernon, Jim Mowrer, and Kim Weaver.
He in recent weeks has attended fundraisers for Vernon, who would like to challenge Blum in the 1st Congressional District.
Vernon, a former city councilor in Cedar Rapids, announced her bid for the seat in January 2015 — only weeks after its current seat-holder took office.
The professional relationship between the two started in 2008. Vernon was a city councilor in Cedar Rapids, when the floods of 2008 devastated the city.
“I think we need more Democrats elected federally and at the Iowa level,” said Michelle Gajewski, Vernon’s campaign manager. “He’s really gone above and beyond.”