Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Amidst mounting evidence that the emerging market of new nicotine delivery products poses serious public health and consumer protection issues, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined six of his fellow senators today in calling on the Food and Drug...

“This is the seventh in a series of hearings to inform this committee’s reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The focus of today’s hearing, teacher preparation, is profoundly important for all students, from the very youngest to our adult students. “Study after study shows that teacher quality is the decisive...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement today as oral arguments began at the Supreme Court in the cases of Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius. On the basis of the religious...

Washington, D.C., March 25– U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, today released the following statement before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius: “Obamacare is a thumb in the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) that would make it easier for charities and cooperatives to continue to offer pensions to their employees has cleared both houses of Congress and will be signed into law by the President. The Cooperative and Small Employer Charity...

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), one of the authors of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), today applauded the news from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that thousands of Iowa Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors and people with disabilities,  have collectively saved more than $105 million on...

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), one of the authors of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), today commemorated the anniversary of the law’s enactment by urging Iowans to enroll in quality, comprehensive health insurance coverage for 2014 before March 31. Already, more than five million Americans—including more than 15,000...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement today after the Department of Education (ED) released its Civil Rights Data Collection for the 2011-2012 school year.  Among other findings, ED’s new civil rights data show...

JACKSON, Tenn., March 21 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, today released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of Obamacare this Sunday, March 23: “Look back at the health care debate as the president rammed his bill through Congress four years ago and...

Washington, DC – A bipartisan group of senators is urging the FDA to provide further clarity and transparency in its policy regarding medical mobile apps.  Senators Michael Bennet, Orrin Hatch, Tom Harkin, Lamar Alexander, Mark Warner, and Richard Burr urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further clarify rules for medical...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) in sending a letter signed by 195 Senators and Representatives to President Barack Obama calling on him to issue an executive order...

Washington, D.C., March 14 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate labor committee, today released the following statement on the president’s order to change overtime rules: “The president’s directive—combined with his support for a minimum wage hike, his executive order increasing...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 14 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate education committee, today released the following statement on the administration’s proposed gainful employment rule: “To take 841 pages of regulations to define two words in the higher education law shows exactly what is wrong...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Department of Education’s proposed gainful employment rule: “I am grateful the Secretary moved forward with the re-regulation of this important...

MEMO The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, passed by the U.S. Senate today, is the 17th bipartisan bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s jurisdiction to pass the Senate in the 113th Congress under Chairman Tom Harkin’s leadership. Eleven of these bills have already been signed...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Bipartisan legislation to help American families access safe, affordable, and quality child care has cleared the Senate with strong support from senators on both sides of the aisle. U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Richard Burr (R-NC) released the following statements today...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Bipartisan legislation to help American families access safe, affordable, and quality child care has cleared the Senate with strong support from senators on both sides of the aisle. U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Richard Burr (R-NC) released the following statements today...

*** “Now that the legislation has established who is on the flagpole, FDA and states can take the action necessary to ensure compounded drugs are safe in the facilities that they regulate.” –Lamar Alexander Washington, D.C., March 13 – At a Senate health committee hearing today with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI); Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee; and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today to introduce legislation to give American workers...

Senators say they will consider options such as the Congressional Review Act to prevent the rule from taking effect WASHINGTON, March 13 – Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), John Thune (R-S.D.) and 22 of their Republican colleagues today called on the Obama administration to immediately rescind its rule creating an...