Press Releases

Let me begin by thanking Chairman Harkin for holding a confirmation hearing this past Tuesday for Mr. Craig Becker, who is nominated to serve as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board. There were a number of concerns raised by Members of this Committee and I think it was important to hear additional testimony from Mr. Becker regarding these...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement following Senate confirmation of Patricia Smith, of New York, to be Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor.  The full Senate voted 60 to 37 for confirmation.  The HELP...

“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...

United State SenateCommittee on Health, Education, Labor and PensionsMichael Enzi (Wyo.), Ranking MemberRANKING MEMBER REPORT:The Nomination of M. Patricia Smith of New York, Nominee to Serve as Solicitor of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor: Accuracy of Senate TestimonyU.S. Senate111th CongressCommittee on Health, Education, Labor and...

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. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement on the vote scheduled to occur at 1 a.m. Monday to cut off debate and move toward final passage of the Reid health care bill: “As families across the country look forward to the Christmas holiday, Senate Democrats are planning to deliver an early lump of...

There’s been a lot of talk lately about “making history” on health care. The problem is, there are different kinds of history. In this case, the Democratic majority seems determined to pursue a political kamikaze mission toward a historic mistake. If it succeeds, the result will be disastrous for Democrats in 2010 and,...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Reps. John Kline (R-MN) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today wrote college and university presidents regarding their legislation that would preserve critical student loan options for another year. The Members are working to extend the Federal Family Education...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) today said the Senate must say no to the enormous tax increase the Reid health care bill will lay on America’s middle class families and small businesses, and urged sending the measure back for a re-write that reins in the cost of health care instead. “If the Reid bill passes,...

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. – Although details of the latest Reid health bill are still not available for Senators or the American people to read, reports indicate that the latest proposals would make “a bad bill even worse,” U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (RWyo.) said today. “I really would like to see this marvelous new idea that’s...

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...

Washington, D.C. – The Senate must approve the bipartisan Hatch-Nelson amendment to prevent federal dollars from being used to pay for abortions under the Reid health care bill, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) said on the Senate floor today. “The Reid bill breaks the President’s promises and forces American taxpayers to pay for...

Washington, D.C. – Despite the repeated promise from President Obama, Majority Leader Reid and Senate Democrats that “If you like the care you have, you can keep it,” the Reid health care bill would force between nine and ten million Americans to lose their employer-based health coverage, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) today urged his colleagues to support an amendment to the Reid health bill that would protect Medicare benefits for seniors and ensure that any savings in the Medicare program be used to shore up that insolvent program. “We shouldn’t cut Medicare, which is going broke, to pay for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and John Rockefeller (D-WY), Chairman of the Commerce Committee joined by a group of 36 Senators today called on the National Mediation Board to provide fair...

(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. – Despite unbelievable claims and promises from many Senate Democrats that cutting a half-trillion dollars from Medicare will not affect beneficiaries, seniors know the truth: slashing Medicare will lead to reduced benefits and poorer quality of care, especially for patients who rely on home health agencies, U.S. Senator Mike...