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  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office released a new analysis showing that repealing the Affordable Care Act would add $230 billion to the federal deficit by 2021:  “Today’s report from the...
  • The files contain audio recordings of 26 visits to 13 for-profit schools in 2010.  GAO visited each school twice,  posing once as an applicant who was eligible to receive both grants and loans (Scenario 1), and once as an applicant with a salary and assets that would qualify the applicant only for unsubsidized loans (Scenario 2). Click...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced the Committee passed six pieces of legislation and approved six nominees at today’s executive session.  All of the bills and nominations passed with unanimous consent and must now be approved by the full...
  • “I would like to thank everyone for being here for the second hearing in a series focusing on retirement security in America.  Today, we are going to take a hard look at the management and administration of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and see if we need to take steps to modernize the agency.  “In this climate of...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) hailed today’s Senate passage of legislation to better protect Americans against contaminated food and food-borne illness.  The measure passed by a vote of 73 to 25.  Harkin, who is Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), is a lead sponsor of the...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee executive session to consider several bills, as well as to vote on any pending nominations that may be cleared for action, scheduled for today has been POSTPONED.  The new time and date are to be determined.
  • “I want to welcome everyone to this hearing on retirement security, a timely issue that is of critical importance to every American.   “A recent survey found that 92 percent of adults aged 44-75 believe there is a retirement crisis in America.  Are they right?  Is there a retirement crisis?  Well, consider the...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced the Committee will hold a hearing on THURSDAY at 10:00 A.M. to examine the state of retirement security in the United States. The hearing will be webcast live at: http://help.senate.gov Testimony and archived videos will be...
  • “This is the third in a series of hearings by this Committee examining the federal investment in for-profit colleges and universities. “As we have seen in recent months, this is a very wealthy and powerful industry.  It has spent a small fortune on full-page ads in major newspapers drawing attention to its schools. “I...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) reveals that more than half of students at many for-profit colleges will drop out within the first two years, most likely with significant loan debt.  The companies themselves, however, are raking in...
  •   STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN TOM HARKIN (D-IA) ON THE FOOD SAFETY MANAGER’S PACKAGE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement on the manager’s package for The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.   Harkin has...
  • August 12, 2010   Senate Leaders Release Manager’s Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Six Senate leaders have been negotiating in good faith: Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick Durbin...
  • August 12, 2010   Senate Leaders Release Manager’s Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Six Senate leaders have been negotiating in good faith: Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick Durbin...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Following the second oversight hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that he will initiate a document request to 30 companies operating for-profit schools.  The announcement came at the end of the Committee’s hearing today titled “For-Profit...
  • “This is the second in a series of hearings by this Committee focusing on the growing federal investment in for-profit colleges and universities.   “This industry has grown at an extraordinary pace.  Over the last ten years, enrollment has increased from 600,000 students to two million students.  Federal financial aid to...
  • Chairman Harkin holds a panel discussion on the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, "The ADA -- Looking Back, Looking Ahead."  Click here to view archive webcast of the panel discussion.
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education released proposed regulations on the definition of “gainful employment.”  “Preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation” is used in the Higher Education Act as one of the...
  • “Good morning, everyone.  We meet today to discuss a profoundly important issue:  the lack of effective treatments for rare and neglected diseases.   “In addition to my role as chair of this committee, I also serve as chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds health initiatives.  In that capacity, I have...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement today regarding the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new regulation on 401(k) fee disclosure.   “I commend the Department of Labor for its efforts to shed light on excessive...
  • WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement regarding a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of potential risks associated with the drug AVANDIA (rosiglitazone maleate), which is a medication manufactured by...