Men's Club Continues: No Change in Iowa Delegation

As widely expected, all the Iowa Congressional seats remain in the hands of incumbents as Democrats Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack, and Leonard Bowell, and Republicans Tom Latham, and Steve King handily won their district races. Also, Democrat Senator Tom Harkin dispensed unheralded Republican challenger Christopher Reed.

Iowa continues to be one of only two states that has never sent a qualified woman candidate of any party to Congress, as Marrianette Miller-Meeks, Wendy Barth, and Becky Greenwald were defeated.

News from around Iowa

IOWA – Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed meaningful legislation to begin safely and responsibly winding down the war in Iraq, despite Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District Representative Tom Latham’s vote against the measure. Since the very beginning of the war in 2003, Rep. Latham has voted to enable President Bush’s reckless Iraq policy with vote after vote after vote. With no more than 70 percent of the American public calling for the withdrawal of nearly all troops from Iraq by April, local educators in Clear Lake, Fort Dodge and Ames, IA will simultaneously deliver Rep. Latham a failing Iraq ‘report card’ to each of the Congressman’s constituent offices at 11AM on Friday, July 20th detailing his abysmal record supporting President Bush’s costly, irresponsible and failed policies in Iraq. The Iowa Educators will deliver remarks outside each office calling on Rep. Latham to represent the vast majority of Iowans and vote to bring a safe and responsible end to the war.

WHO: Mason City Area Educators
WHAT: Delivery of Representative Tom Latham’s Failing Iraq Report Card
WHEN: July 20th, 2007 at 11AM
WHERE: Latham Congressional Office: CLEAR LAKE/MASON CITY OFFICE:812 Hwy. 18 EastClear Lake, Iowa 50428

How Hard are Iowa's Representatives Working in Congress?

Now it may be unfair to judge from my vantage point in Iowa City how our Congressional Reps. are doing, but remember, I do research for a living and, yes, numbers do tell a story.

So in the 110th Congress who has sponsored legislation, co-sponsored legislation, and who has had others support their legislation? Thomas Legislation tracking tells us one story

IA-1 (Braley)*
Sponsored = 3
Others Support = 3
Co-sponsored = 60

IA-2 (Loebsack) *
= 2
= 2
= 124

IA-3 (Boswell) *
= 5
= 4
= 97

IA-4 (Latham) *
= 7
= 5
= 39

IA-5 (King) *
= 11
= 7
= **

GovTrack tells a different story.

* Bruce Braley has sponsored 3 bills since Jan 4, 2007, of which 2 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 0 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Braley has co-sponsored 128 bills during the same time period (Few, relative to peers).

* David Loebsack has sponsored 2 bills since Jan 4, 2007, of which 1 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 0 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Loebsack has co-sponsored 120 bills during the same time period (Few, relative to peers).

* Leonard Boswell has sponsored 44 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 41 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 0 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Boswell has co-sponsored 1205 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

* Thomas Latham has sponsored 35 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 26 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Latham has co-sponsored 764 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

* Steve King has sponsored 35 bills since Jan 7, 2003, of which 34 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 0 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). King has co-sponsored 536 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).


** Unable to determine via Thomas