Melcher-Dallas — Dave Loebsack paid a visit to the Melcher-Dallas Senior Center this afternoon.
Loebsack has been serving in Congress since 2007. He is seeking reelection in Iowa's new Second District, which includes Marion County.
Loebsack had been invited to speak at the Knoxville Senior Center, but it did not work out. He traveled a few miles south and spoke to approximately 15 seniors at the Melcher-Dallas Community Center.
He opened his discussion by sharing some of his background, including financial struggles his family faced. As his mother suffered from mental illness, he lived with his grandparents for a time as a child. Loebsack shared his experience with living on Social Security and its survivor benefits, and told the group that he pledged to protect them.
"We couldn't have survived," Loebsack said. "(Social Security) is personal for me."
He criticized his opponent, Bettendorf Republican John Archer, for Archer's stance on being open to turning Medicare and Social Security into a voucher program.
"We've got to maintain Medicare and Social Security," Loebsack said.
In a recent press release from the Archer campaign, a spokesperson for Archer criticized Loebsack for voting in favor of the "Affordable Care Act," which will take $716 billion from Medicare.
"(Loebsack) is trying to hide his record on Medicare," Campaign Manager Mary Earnhardt said. "It is clear that only one individual in the race to represent Iowa’s Second District voted to cut $716 Billion from Medicare, and that was Dave Loebsack.”
In Melcher-Dallas, Loebsack touted his support of veterans, his belief in the Middle Class and maintaining it. He was asked about the Farm Bill and the inaction on it. Loebsack is hopeful that the Republican-controlled House will still take action on the bill before Jan. 1. In his opinion, the Tea Party members were to blame for inaction. His claim is that they do not even support government-supported crop insurance. Partisanship in Washington, D.C., according to Loebsack, is at an extreme, especially among leadership.
After his presentation, Loebsack and two staff members met with the seniors in smaller groups.
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