Chair's Press

“Good morning.  Today this Committee is holding its first hearing on health care since President Obama signed into law the historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  This Committee will be an active participant in implementation and oversight of that law.  As we all know, health reform is not complete with the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement today regarding a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) inspections of domestic food facilities.  Among its findings, the report identifies significant...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today announced that landmark legislation to make college more affordable and accessible had passed the U.S. Senate.  The legislation must now go to the U.S. House for a final vote before heading to the President’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after President Obama signed into law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate-passed comprehensive health reform measure approved by the House earlier this week.  Harkin, as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) issued the following statement after the U.S. House passed the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.  With this vote, comprehensive health reform has passed and will go to President Obama for his signature.  The reconciliation package now heads to the U.S....

“I am very pleased to convene this hearing – the first in a series – to focus on the childhood obesity epidemic and how we can reverse it. “The harsh and sad reality is that, for the first time in our nation’s history, we are in danger of raising a generation of children who will live sicker and die younger than the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement upon the conclusion of the White House bipartisan summit on health reform.  Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “Throughout this summit we heard stories from around the country that tell of the urgency to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the White House unveiled their health reform proposal.  Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “In his State of the Union address, the President made clear that we cannot walk away from health...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement today after meeting at the White House with First Lady Michelle Obama, Cabinet members, business leaders and others on the growing problem of childhood obesity. In 2008, Harkin spearheaded an effort to create the nation’s first federal interagency taskforce...

“We are here today to take up the nomination of Craig Becker for the National Labor Relations Board.  This is the second time the Committee has taken up this nomination, and the second time that I am proud to support it. “While I ordinarily would love to go on at length about the accomplishments of a native Iowan, I have detailed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Harkin chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, as well as the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. “Tonight the President spoke to the American people...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today joined the Democratic Senate majority in supporting The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 60 to 39 and will now go on to conference with the House. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) issued the following statement on a new, national report out today regarding food marketing to kids. The Impact of Industry Self- Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children provides the first independent, comprehensive evaluation of the Children’s Food...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced today that the Committee approved eight nominations en bloc this afternoon to fill positions at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Council on...

(As prepared for delivery) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health,Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today delivered the following remarks on the Senatefloor. “Mr. President, we are now well into our seventh day of debate on the Patient Protection andAffordable Care Act. For many weeks,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to conclude debate and proceed to consideration of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “Tonight, we have taken the first step toward...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced today that the Committee approved two key Administration nominees during this morning’s Executive Session. David Michaels of Maryland to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and...

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee) Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), along with other Senate leaders, today said strengthening public faith in the safety of food is crucial to public health and reaffirmed their commitment to enact bipartisan,...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced today that the Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Increasing Health Costs Facing Small Businesses.” The hearing will explore the toll high health care costs take on America’s small...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement following Senate confirmation of Dr. Regina Benjamin, of Alabama, to be U.S. Surgeon General. The HELP Committee approved Dr. Benjamin’s nomination on October 7, 2009. “Dr....