[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 876]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      WELCOMING THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD TO WASHINGTON, DC FOR THE 
                              INAUGURATION

  (Mr. LOEBSACK asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, today, I would like to highlight the 
special role the Iowa National Guard will play in the historic 
inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
  Approximately 1,000 Iowa National Guard troops, including 140 from my 
district, will join 6,000 other National Guardsmen and women from seven 
States to assist in the inaugural events. This historic trip to 
Washington, DC marks the first time in its 170-year history that the 
Iowa National Guard has participated in a presidential inauguration.
  I have had the honor of meeting many of Iowa's citizen soldiers both 
at home when they have responded to natural disasters such as last 
summer's floods and abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are some of 
Iowa's finest citizens and some of the finest troops in our military 
services.
  I would like to extend a warm welcome to my fellow Iowans as they 
arrive in Washington. I am deeply proud of the role they will play in 
this historic event.

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