Press Releases

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 a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) examining the existing body of research linking sodium intake to health outcomes and confirming the need for Americans to...

Washington, D.C., May 14 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along with 13 Republican senators today sent a letter to Chairman Tom Harkin requesting a committee hearing on the fiscal year 2014 budget request of the National Labor Relations Board, which...

*** “If the Department of Health and Human Services closely coordinates with Enroll America and other entities, then the analogy with Iran Contra is strong…Congress had said no, and the administration did it anyway. And that's precisely, it seems to me, what's happening here.”  –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., May 13...

*** “If the secretary or others in her department are fundraising and coordinating the activities of Enroll America and soliciting donations to supplement appropriated funds, then those actions may be in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act” — Lamar Alexander NASHVILLE, May 11—U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said today that...

Washington, D.C., May 10 – U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along with 10 cosponsors, this week introduced a resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the...

*** “When we met to discuss this legislation in November, I made it clear that I have a single goal here, or at least a primary goal, and that’s to make clear who’s on the flagpole, who’s accountable, to eliminate any confusion about responsibility.”  –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., May 9 –At a...

Washington, D.C., May 9 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today praised the Senate’s passage of the reauthorization Animal Drug User Fee Act and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act. Alexander said: “These programs have reduced the average...

*As Prepared for Delivery* “Last November, this Committee convened a hearing 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 53 Americans and sickened more than 700.  Through that hearing and the efforts of our...

Harkin Statement on Senate Passage of Animal Drug User Fee Bill  WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, applauded the Senate’s passage of the Animal Drug User Fee Agreement (ADUFA) and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Agreement (AGDUFA) reauthorizations....

WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, spoke on the floor of the Senate about Republican obstructionism that has prevented a scheduled Committee vote this afternoon on the nomination of Thomas Perez to be Secretary of Labor. Below is the full text of Harkin’s...

WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) have introduced companion resolutions in the Senate and House to express support for expanded home health care services. Long-term services and supports for seniors and individuals with disabilities are proven to be cost-effective, and they enable Americans to...

WASHINGTON--Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committeeand of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies—and author of the prevention and public health title of the Affordable Care Act—spoke on the floor of the Senate...

The following documents are parts I and II of Thomas Perez’s responses to questions for the record submitted by Republican members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Part I was received by the committee April 24. Part II, which consists of the members’ follow-up questions, was received by the committee...

MEMPHIS, May 2 – At a press conference in front of Onyx Medical Corp., U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he’d push for a repeal of the medical device tax and press the Food and Drug Administration to lessen regulatory burdens on the industry, calling it “critical to creating jobs for Memphis and...

Washington, D.C., May 2 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), co-chairs of the Senate Public Charter Schools Caucus, today expressed strong support for public charter schools and marked the start of the 14th annual National...

Washington, D.C., April 27 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along with 11 Republican cosponsors, today introduced a bill to end the stream of decisions and regulations issued by what Alexander calls an invalid National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)...

Washington, D.C., April 26– Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), with Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and other members of the HELP Committee, today released draft legislation that would improve the...

Washington, D.C., April 26 – Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), with Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and other members of the HELP Committee, today released draft legislation that would...

This discussion draft reflects bipartisan efforts to develop consensus policy proposals regarding appropriate regulation of pharmaceutical compounding. Our goal is to solicit feedback on the policy merits, potential unintended consequences, and potential opportunities to improve the legislative language. The discussion draft is available...

WASHINGTON – The top Republicans on the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committees want to know why American taxpayer dollars are being used to promote collective bargaining rights in foreign countries. Finance Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and HELP Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today wrote two...