Chair's Press

Harkin Convenes Hearing on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today convened the first in a series of hearings to examine how to improve employment opportunities for people with intellectual...

“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...

“I welcome everyone to this important hearing.  Nine years ago this September, two planes were flown into the World Trade Center, and the twin towers fell.  In a burst of flame and debris, nearly 3,000 people were killed.  And all of our lives were changed forever.   “We will never forget the images burned into our...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today announced the panel will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Continuing Needs of Workers and Communities Affected by 9/11.”   The goal of this hearing is to learn more about the health needs...

“I want to welcome everyone to today’s hearing.  We’re here today to talk about worker misclassification, an issue of critical importance to millions of working men and women across the country. “We all know that these are very difficult times for our economy, especially for working families.  Millions of Americans...

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement in honor of the 47th anniversary of the signing of the Equal Pay Act on June 10, 1963.  Harkin is a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen penalties for discrimination, and has introduced the Fair Pay Act, which would require...

“The Committee will come to order.  We have convened this hearing to examine the issue of employment discrimination against older workers and the need, in the face of a very misguided and harmful Supreme Court decision, to enact legislation to ensure that older workers are treated with the fairness they deserve.  “We will hear...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced today that the Committee approved nine nominations en bloc this afternoon to fill positions at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the National Museum and...

"The topic of today’s hearing couldn’t be more timely, or more important.  In the wake of the West Virginia coal mining disaster that killed 29 miners; the refinery explosion in Anacortes, Washington where seven workers died; the disaster that killed six people at a Connecticut natural gas power plant; and just last week a blast on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the statement below following an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia that killed 25 workers, with four workers still missing.  Harkin chairs both the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Labor Appropriations...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) commented today on the findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he requested on the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA).  The EEOICPA provides compensation to workers and their survivors for occupational diseases arising from...

“The Committee will come to order.  We have convened this hearing to examine the issue of fair pay for women.  This is not a new issue.  In 1963, responding to the fact that the 25 million female workers in the workforce earned just 60 percent of the average pay for men, Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act to end this unfair...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced today that the Committee approved 14 nominations by voice vote this afternoon to fill positions at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the Senate passed the bipartisan Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act by a vote of 70 to 28.  The HIRE Act is a bipartisan bill that has the potential to create and save many jobs nationwide this year.  The measure will now go on to...

“In his State of the Union address last month, President Obama made clear his commitment to getting Americans back to work.  As he put it, job creation is ‘our number one focus for 2010.’  This is why we must act swiftly to ensure that American workers have the education, skills training, and supports they need to...

“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...

“We are here, today, to take the rather unusual step of holding a hearing on a nominee for the National Labor Relations Board.  It has not been the standard practice of this Committee to hold hearings on NLRB nominations.  In the past 25 years, we have confirmed 28 new members to the Board, and have held only one hearing in all that...

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), 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...