Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Mount Vernon, met Wednesday with the former workers of the Iowa Army Ammunition plant and their family members in Burlington. Loebsack says they talked about their efforts to financial assistance from the Department of Labor to cover their health care costs from illnesses due to their exposure to toxic materials at work.
Loebsack says getting the claims processed is the main concern, as it has taken many years to get it done. He says for many of the workers, they are being required to show documentation "that simply doesn’t exist anymore," and Loebsack says they feel they’re getting the runaround. Loebsack isn’t sure how many former workers and their families are still trying to get the issue resolved.
Loebsack says it’s hard to know, but at this meeting he saw 25 to 30 people. Some of those people have filed claims and are satisfied, but he says many are not satisfied. Loebsack says the next step is to continue pressing the issue with the Labor Department.
He’s in the process of gathering more information and wants to talk more with the people in Washington, D.C. Loebsack says he also got to visit with current workers at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant to see the contribution they’re making to America’s national defense effort.