April 17, 2013
***Mail/Phone Delays on Capitol Hill***
by Harkin Press Staff
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 - Due to the ongoing investigation into a suspicious letter recently mailed to the U.S. Senate, all mail to Capitol Hill has been halted. Mail in states offices is also not being opened at this time. The Washington, D.C. office is experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls. Concerned Iowans are being asked to please take a minute to use our web form or call any of Sen. Harkin’s state offices.
April 10, 2013
New Study Shows Students Eating More Fresh Fruits & Veggies Under Harkin-led Program
Elementary school students around the country participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, a Harkin-led effort in both the 2002 and 2008 farm bills, consumed 15 percent more fresh fruits and vegetables than students not participating in the program, according to a new study.
March 12, 2013
Harkin Amendment Will Offer Negotiated FY 13 Labor, Health, Education Bill to Continuing Appropriations Act
An amendment to the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will increases funding for the NIH, child care, and education while staying within the current budget parameters. The amendment reflects the bipartisan compromise on the Fiscal Year 2013 Labor-HHS spending bill negotiated in December by Harkin and his Senate and House counterparts. Harkin is Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
March 7, 2013
Harkin Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Gallaudet University’s “Deaf President Now” Movement on WAMU’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)—sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee—today commemorated the 25th anniversary of Gallaudet University’s "Deaf President Now" movement on WAMU’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Harkin, who at the time served as Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped, sent a letter in support of the deaf community while the protests were ongoing in 1988.
March 5, 2013
Sen. Harkin, Rep. Miller Introduce of Bill to Raise the Minimum Wage to $10.10
Joined by business leaders and workers, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) held a press conference to announce the introduction of legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour from its current $7.25, then provide for automatic annual increases linked to changes in the cost of living. Harkin and Miller’s bill would also gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers—which currently stands at just $2.13 an hour—for the first time in more than 20 years, to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. The lawmakers were joined at the event by Margot Dorfman, CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce; Andy Shallal, owner of several Washington-area restaurants; Amie Crawford, a Chicago fast-food worker; and Gregory Reynoso, a New York pizza delivery driver, to discuss why raising the minimum wage is good for both the economy and for working families.
December 4, 2012
Harkin Supports Ratification of Disability Treaty
In advance of the Senate vote on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, Senator Harkin, Senate author of the ADA, spoke in support of ratifying the treaty.
November 29, 2012
Republican Obstruction of UN Disability-Rights Convention is Shameful
Senator Harkin today expressed his disappointment in Senate Republicans’ obstruction of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. As the lead Senate author of the ADA, Harkin said it was shameful that this effort, which has bipartisan support, is being held up.
November 27, 2012
Harkin Staff Logs 100,000th Constituent Case
Today, Senator Harkin’s staff reached a milestone, logging their 100,000th constituent case. In honor of this achievement, Senator Harkin recorded a video to thank those who have reached out to his office and to congratulate his staff. For the past 28 years, Iowans have counted on Senator Harkin’s office to assist with issues such as housing, veterans benefits, Social Security and Medicare.
November 7, 2012
***New Office Location for Cedar Rapids***
Senator Harkin’s Cedar Rapids office will be closed Thursday, November 8, 2012 as the office moves to its new location in the U.S. District Courthouse. The office will reopen on Friday, November 9th, 2012. There will be no change in the phone or fax numbers for the office. Iowans in the Cedar Rapids area in need of assistance with a federal agency on Thursday may still call (319) 365-4504.
August 23, 2012
Praise for Harkin Proposal to Solve the Retirement Crisis
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin recently unveiled a report entitled “The Retirement Crisis and a Plan to Solve It.” The report includes a proposal to provide universal access to innovative, privately-run, hybrid pension plans called Universal, Secure, and Adaptable (“USA”) Retirement Funds. Policy experts and advocates have weighed in to applaud Harkin’s plan to rebuild the private pension system and improve retirement security for the middle class.
July 25, 2012
Harkin Report Details National, State-by-State Impact of Sequestration on Education, Health, and Labor Programs
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and Related Agencies, today released the first comprehensive report on the potential impact of sequestration on dozens of education, health and labor programs under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction. The report provides national and state-by-state estimates of the number of jobs that could be lost and the number of individuals who could be affected by cuts in services if sequestration went into effect on Jan. 2, 2013.