Tom Harkin

November 13, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today voiced his disappointment with President Bush’s veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Appropriations bill. Upon introducing the domestic spending bill in the Senate, Harkin received word that Bush would veto the legislation based on the language advocating for stem cell research and the overall funding level of the bill.    » read more »

November 9, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced on the Senate floor his opposition to the nomination of Attorney General nominee Judge Michael Mukasey. Among other reasons, Harkin was most disappointed with Mukasey’s refusal to denounce torturous practices such as waterboarding and electric shocks, and his failure to recommend closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility – even though Republican officials like former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have agreed it should be shut down.    » read more »

Pushes measure to ensure federal housing programs are reaching veteran population

November 8, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today expressed alarm and dismay with the findings of a new report showing one out of four homeless people in the United States is a military veteran.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today made the following statement after voting with the majority of his colleagues for the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Today's action serves as the Bush Administration’s first veto override. President Bush struck WRDA down last week; the Senate approved the bill today by 79 to 14 votes.    » read more »

65,000 Iowa school children will now have access, Up from 12,000 currently enrolled

Oct. 29, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – The 2007 farm bill that passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry last week invests heavily in The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and will expand access to the program for elementary students in Iowa and around the country, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) said today.    » read more »

Committee Reports 2007 Farm Bill for Full Senate Consideration

October 25, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today passed by an overwhelming majority the 2007 farm bill, The Food and Energy Security Act. The measure continues and improves farm income protection and makes historic investments for the future in energy, conservation, nutrition and rural development initiatives – all while staying within strict budget limits. Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today hailed the bill’s passage and thanked membership of the Committee.    » read more »

Bill will ensure market keeps pace with ethanol boom; Builds bridge to next generation of biofuels

October 19, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) yesterday introduced a bill to immediately update the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to require the production of 18 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2016 including 3 billion gallons of advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol.    » read more »

October 5, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Joe Biden (D-DE), and Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Artur Davis (D-AL), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Steve Chabot (R-OH) yesterday to President Bush asking him to investigate allegations of the USDA lobbying against legislation that would bring compensation for black farmers who were victims of discrimination.    » read more »

Oct. 3, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today released the following statement in reaction to President Bush’s veto of the Children’s Health Care Program (CHIP) which provides basic health insurance to more than six million children whose parents cannot afford private insurance. Iowa’s version of the program – Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) – provides health insurance to nearly 50,000 children. The legislation reauthorizing the program, which Harkin supported, would cover nearly 11,000 more Iowa children over the next five years.    » read more »

Oct. 1, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today praised the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a key provision he authored to increase support for families of those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially members of the National Guard and Reserve. Harkin’s measure, first introduced as the Coming Together for Guard and Reserve Families Act, works to strengthen the family assistance program and ensures that there are adequate resources for Guard and Reserve families throughout the deployment cycle.    » read more »

Presidential Veto Threatens Future Of The HAWK-I Program

Sept. 28, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) tonight applauded the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by the U.S. Senate, and called on the President to re-evaluate his decision to deny health insurance to American children.    » read more »

Sept. 25, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) last night joined a bipartisan majority of Senators in passing the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007. The legislation would provide much-needed funding and authority to the Army Corps of Engineers to make improvements to Upper Mississippi River transportation, while taking steps to restore the river's habitat and ecosystems. The Senate passed the bill with 81 to 12 votes – well over the 67 votes needed to override President Bush’s threatened veto.    » read more »

Measure Will Help To Reduce Overall Costs Of Healthcare

September 21, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.– Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today praised Congress’ final approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Revitalization Act (S.1082), which reauthorizes important programs to expedite the approval of prescription drugs and medical devices. In addition, the bill improves FDA’s ability to perform post-market surveillance of drugs to prevent unsafe drugs from remaining on the market. President Bush is expected to sign this bill into law soon.    » read more »

Legislation comes on the heels of large-scale spinach and bagged salad recalls

Sept 20, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced legislation to establish an effective national food safety framework for all fresh produce. The bill comes one year after a large-scale outbreak of food-borne illness caused by a virulent strain of E. coli in fresh bagged spinach sickened more than 200 people and killed three. Since then, U.S. consumers have been bombarded with repeated cases of contaminated food – everything from peanut butter to seafood to pet food.    » read more »

Senate legislation to be introduced later this week

Sept. 18, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement on the recall of Dole's Hearts Delight bagged salad due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Eighty-eight cases - or 528 bags – of the bagged salad were distributed in Canada and 755 cases containing 4,530 bags in the U.S., according to Dole.    » read more »