Ranking Member's Press
Harkin Statement on the Nomination of Thomas Perez
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 remarks, as prepared for delivery: "I come to the floor today to express my deep disappointment that - once again - Republican obstructionism and procedural tri… Continue Reading
05.07.13
Harkin, Schakowsky Introduce Companion Resolutions in Support of Home Health Care
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 live and participate in their communities. "Supporting and expanding access to affordable, quality long-term services and supports will help millions of Ameri… Continue Reading
05.07.13
Statement by Senator Tom Harkin On the Importance of the Prevention Fund to Save Lives and Money
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 about theimportance of the Prevention and Public Health fund to saving lives and money, and about his disappointment regarding the Administration's decision to ra… Continue Reading
04.26.13
Harkin, Alexander, Franken, Roberts Release Draft Bill to Make Clear Oversight Responsibilities for Pharmaceutical Compounding, Ensure Safety for Consumers
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 safety of compounded human and animal drugs by making clear the compounding oversight responsibilities of state and federal authorities. The draft legislation makes… Continue Reading
04.26.13
Draft Proposal on Pharmaceutical Compounding
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 below. Please submit your written comments to compounding@help.senate.gov by 6 PM on May 3, 2013. Please click here to see the discussion draft. Please click… Continue Reading
04.26.13
Draft Proposal on Pharmaceutical Compounding
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 below. Please submit your written comments to compounding@help.senate.gov by 6 PM on May 3, 2013. Please click here to see the discussion draft. Please click… Continue Reading
04.25.13
Harkin, Merkley, Kirk, Polis, Ros-Lehtinen Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to End Workplace Discrimination
Washington, DC - Today, bipartisan coalitions in the Senate and House introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Senate bill is sponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). In the House, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) have introduced a companion bill. Senator Harkin: "Over… Continue Reading
04.19.13
Draft Proposal to Improve Drug Distribution Security
This discussion draft reflects a yearlong effort to find bipartisan, consensus policy on drug distribution security. Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, and Senators Bennet and Burr request that stakeholders provide written responses, including their level of support for the overall proposal in addition to any comments regarding the feasibility of this framework, and any technical feedback. Please submit your written comments by 6pm on Friday, April 26th to drugdistributionsecurity@help.s… Continue Reading
04.19.13
Draft Proposal to Improve Drug Distribution Security
This discussion draft reflects a yearlong effort to find bipartisan, consensus policy on drug distribution security. Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, and Senators Bennet and Burr request that stakeholders provide written responses, including their level of support for the overall proposal in addition to any comments regarding the feasibility of this framework, and any technical feedback. Please submit your written comments by 6pm on Friday, April 26th to drugdistributionsecurity@help.s… Continue Reading
04.18.13
Harkin Statement on Adoption of Mental Health Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the adoption of the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act as an amendment to S.649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013. The mental health legislation, which reauthorizes and improves programs administered by both the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services related to awareness, preventio… Continue Reading
04.18.13
Statement of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) at the HELP Committee Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Labor-Designate Thomas E. Perez
*As Prepared for Delivery* "I am pleased to welcome our distinguished nominee for Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, and I thank our two Senators from Maryland for their gracious introductions. "As we have just heard, Tom Perez's life is the story of the American Dream. The child of immigrants from the Dominican Republican, he lost his father at a young age. He worked very hard at not-very-glamorous jobs to put himself through Brown University -- working at a warehouse, as a garbage collecto… Continue Reading
04.10.13
Harkin, Alexander Urge Senate to Pass Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN) today urged the Senate to pass the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act, a mental health package passed by the Committee this morning that reauthorizes and improves programs administered by both the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services related to awareness, prevention, and early identification of mental health conditions. Ea… Continue Reading
04.09.13
Harkin, Alexander Introduce Bipartisan Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and HELP Committee Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN) today introduced the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act, a mental health package that reauthorizes and improves programs administered by both the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services related to awareness, prevention, and early identification of mental health conditions. Earlier this year, the Committee held … Continue Reading
04.09.13
Harkin Statement on President Obama’s Nominations to Fill NLRB Vacancies
WASHINGTON-Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in reaction to President Obama's decision to nominate a full slate of board members for the National Labor Relations Board: "I am pleased that President Obama has put forth a bipartisan slate of nominees to fill positions on the National Labor Relations Board. It is of paramount importance-for workers, for businesses, and the economy-to have a f… Continue Reading
04.03.13
GAO Uncovers Troubling Practices Carried Out by Financial Firms That Drain Americans’ 401(k) Retirement Savings in Report Requested by Sen. Harkin, Rep. Miller, and Sen. Nelson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - America's workers are often presented with false and misleading information regarding fees and their options on what to do with their 401(k) assets when they leave an employer, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation released today by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Rep. George Miller (D-CA), and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). Following the release of the report, Harkin, Miller, and Nelson called on the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Treasury to act on GAO's reco… Continue Reading
03.29.13
Harkin, Casey Sign on as Original Cosponsors of Legislation to Strengthen Worker Safety Laws as Investigation Reveals Insufficient Safety Regulations That Have Led to Dozens of Grain Bin Entrapments
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, have signed on as original cosponsors of the recently-introduced Protecting America's Workers Act (PAWA). The reintroduction of the bill comes as an investigation carried out by National Public Radio (NPR) and the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) revealed a weak federal … Continue Reading
03.22.13
Harkin Statement on the Third Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON-Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on the third anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act: "Three years after we passed the most significant health care law since the creation of Medicare, American families are reaping the benefits. Today, patients have access to preventive care without co-pays, women can receive necessary screenings and birth control with no out-of-pocket c… Continue Reading
03.20.13
Harkin Statement on Ongoing Republican Attacks on the National Labor Relations Board
WASHINGTON--Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement in response to the House Education and Workforce Committee's passage of a bill to prevent the National Labor Relations Board from conducting its work: "This bill is just the latest front in the longstanding Republican war on workers' rights," Harkin said. "It is important to remember that it is the Republicans' refusal to act responsibly and conf… Continue Reading
03.20.13
Sen. Harkin, Rep. DeLauro Introduce Healthy Families Act to Allow Workers to Earn Paid Sick Days
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today reintroduced the Healthy Families Act, legislation that would allow workers to earn paid sick leave to use when they are sick, to care for a sick family member, to obtain preventive care, or to address the impacts of domestic violence. "A full forty percent of private-sector American workers have no access to paid sick days- meaning that they cannot miss a day of work without risking a day's pay or even their job. W… Continue Reading
03.18.13
Harkin Statement on Nomination of Thomas Perez to Serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement today on the nomination of Thomas Perez to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Labor. "I am pleased that President Obama has nominated Thomas Perez to serve as our next Secretary of Labor, a vitally important part of the Cabinet. As the former Maryland Secretary of Labor and as the current Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Mr. Perez has served as… Continue Reading
