Chair's Press

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee - and author of the prevention title of the Affordable Care Act - released the following statement on the Administration’s proposed rule on contraceptive cost sharing for religious organizations: “I am pleased to...

*As Prepared for Delivery* “I want to welcome everyone to the latest in our ongoing series of hearings focusing on retirement security.  Today, we are going to take a closer look at the question: How much do families need to save for retirement? “I guess I’m about to find out what life in retirement is like, but I already...

Women Make Only 77 Cents for Every Dollar Earned by a Man WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, on the fourth anniversary of enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Fair Pay Act, which would build upon the important work of that legislation and help ensure equal pay for equal work.  Harkin’s...

WASHINGTON--Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that strikes down President Obama's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): "Today's Circuit...

Legislation Includes Provisions to Fight Chronic Disease, Encourage Healthier Communities, Schools and Workplaces, and Improve Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Legislation introduced today by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the White House announced recommendations from Vice President Joe Biden's gun task force.  “Like all Americans, I was deeply saddened by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  What added to our grief as a...

WASHINGTON--Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement in response to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' resignation: “Secretary Solis has been an exemplary public servant and a fierce champion for workers’ rights. She served as a strong voice at the Department of Labor during a particularly challenging time for our...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement: “Earlier today, I informed Majority Leader Reid of my intention to remain Chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.   I made this decision based on where my passion lies.  This is my work, it is who I...

WASHINGTON—Today, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY) and members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee sent letters to all fifty state boards of pharmacy, the entities responsible for maintaining registries of pharmacies operating within their state. The HELP Committee is investigating the New...

“We are meeting here today to better understand what caused one of the worst public health crises this country has experienced in recent years: the meningitis outbreak that has claimed the lives of 32 Americans and sickened at least 461 people.              “While those...

WASHINGTON—Today, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY) and members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions issued letters requesting documents to aid in the committee’s investigation into the recent fungal meningitis outbreak, which has sickened more than 300 Americans. The Committee sent...

Policy Options Draft for Stakeholder Discussion This discussion draft reflects an ongoing effort to develop consensus policy on drug distribution security. This draft contains brackets and a menu of policy options for some issues around which developing consensus is most challenging. Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Enzi of the HELP...

*As Prepared for Delivery* “I want to welcome everyone to the extraordinary roundtable we are holding today.  We have brought together a number of very experienced and thoughtful participants to talk about an issue that is critically important for the middle class –rebuilding the pension system.  “Defined benefit pension...

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, unveiled a report on the findings of the Committee’s two-year investigation of the for-profit higher education industry. The report outlines widespread problems throughout the sector, as evidenced by the thousands...

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, released a new report  examining the retirement crisis in America and laying out a bold proposal to rebuild the private pension system.  The report comes after a series of HELP Committee hearings on retirement...

WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education released a report today illustrating the misleading practices and debt that stemmed from the financial boom...

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Senate author of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, released a report detailing the current state of employment for adults with disabilities, and describing policy recommendations that would help to increase...

*As Prepared for Delivery* “The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will come to order.  The title of this hearing is ‘The Americans with Disabilities Act at 22:  A New Generation of Iowans Approaches the Labor Force with High Expectations.’ “Later this month, on July 26, in celebrations...

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act: “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a rigorous, resounding confirmation of the constitutionality...

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, heralded final passage of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (S.3187), bipartisan HELP Committee legislation that would ensure that the FDA can approve...