Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement today after President Obama signed into law a landmark package of student lending reforms. “The last few weeks in Washington have been truly historic.  Comprehensive health reform is...

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 Senate floor on the importance of extending unemployment insurance. “Let me thank my colleague and dear friend from Michigan, Senator Stabenow, for those kind words. I know...

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. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee made the following comments regarding this weekend’s passage of the health care bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: "Most Americans don’t want the health care bill the House just...

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...

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....

Washington, D.C. – At a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing today, Ranking Member Mike Enzi, (R-Wyo.), continued to champion greater flexibility for rural schools and better balancing of federal mandates with local control as the Committee considers the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary...

“I’d like to thank all of you for being here today for the second in a series of hearings focusing on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Today’s testimony will help inform us as we undertake a bipartisan process to reshape this legislation. We have learned a lot since No Child Left Behind was passed...

Washington, D.C. – The path to closing the earnings gap between women and men lies in providing the skills and training needed to enable more women - and men - to enter new higher-earning jobs, not burdening employers with new, unfunded mandates,” U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor...

“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...

Chairman Harkin, I want to thank you for starting this series of hearings on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  Beginning with a hearing on the Importance of World-Class K-12 Education for Our Economic Success is an appropriate way to initiate our review of the issues surrounding reauthorization. ...

“I’d like to thank all of you for being here today for the first in a series of hearings focusing on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  Testimony from educators and experts, this morning and in subsequent hearings, will guide us as we undertake a bipartisan process to reshape this bill.  We have...

Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening today’s hearing on this important issue: childhood obesity.  Our nation faces an epidemic of childhood obesity.  As a result of this epidemic, millions of children are going to develop heart disease, diabetes and a host of other serious medical conditions.  Costs for programs like Medicare...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement today after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an investigation into findings of Salmonella Tennessee in hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., in Las Vegas. HVP is a commonly used ingredient used as a flavor...

“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.  –  U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement in response to the President’s Letter To Congressional Leaders On Health Insurance Reform: “The President’s bill is polarizing because it was put...

“I’m glad we had the opportunity to meet with the President today and talk frankly about our views on health care reform.  As I’ve been saying, I think it’s important that we move forward in a bipartisan way, work on the problems that are driving up costs and keeping millions of Americans from finding affordable health...

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...