Ranking Member's Press
Harkin: Repeal Would Deny Coverage to Millions of Americans with Preexisting Conditions
WASHINGTON - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services released a new report showing that, without the Affordable Care Act, up to 129 million Americans under the age of 65 who have a pre-existing health condition would be at risk of losing health insurance when they need it most, or be denied coverage: "The report released today by the Department of Health and Human … Continue Reading
01.06.11
Harkin Announces Series of Hearings on Health Reform Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that the Committee will hold a series of hearings in the coming months to examine how the health reform law benefits Americans. The hearings will explore implementation of several provisions of the Affordable Care Act and will feature testimony from Americans directly affected by the Act's provisions."Millions of Americans are already benefiting from protections in the hea… Continue Reading
01.06.11
Harkin on CBO Analysis of Health Reform Repeal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office released a new analysis showing that repealing the Affordable Care Act would add $230 billion to the federal deficit by 2021: "Today's report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office makes clear that Congressional Republicans' political stunt would not only deprive millions of Americans of important protections agains… Continue Reading
12.14.10
Undercover recordings of visits by GAO agents to for-profit schools
The files contain audio recordings of 26 visits to 13 for-profit schools in 2010. GAO visited each school twice, posing once as an applicant who was eligible to receive both grants and loans (Scenario 1), and once as an applicant with a salary and assets that would qualify the applicant only for unsubsidized loans (Scenario 2). Click here to download the file in .zip format.… Continue Reading
12.01.10
HELP Committee Advances Pending Bills and Nominations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced the Committee passed six pieces of legislation and approved six nominees at today's executive session. All of the bills and nominations passed with unanimous consent and must now be approved by the full Senate. At the executive session, Harkin also welcomed Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to the Committee."I am pleased that today the HELP Committee was able to move forward in a bipa… Continue Reading
12.01.10
Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
"I would like to thank everyone for being here for the second hearing in a series focusing on retirement security in America. Today, we are going to take a hard look at the management and administration of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and see if we need to take steps to modernize the agency. "In this climate of uncertainty, PBGC's role is more important than ever. The Great Recession has taken a toll on workers all over the country. I talk to people every day that are struggling… Continue Reading
11.30.10
Under Harkin Leadership, Senate Passes Historic Food Safety Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) hailed today's Senate passage of legislation to better protect Americans against contaminated food and food-borne illness. The measure passed by a vote of 73 to 25. Harkin, who is Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), is a lead sponsor of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and has worked closely with a bipartisan group of Senators over the past year to establish a broad coalition of support for the bill."For … Continue Reading
11.16.10
HELP Committee Executive Session Postponed
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee executive session to consider several bills, as well as to vote on any pending nominations that may be cleared for action, scheduled for today has been POSTPONED. The new time and date are to be determined.… Continue Reading
10.07.10
Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
"I want to welcome everyone to this hearing on retirement security, a timely issue that is of critical importance to every American. "A recent survey found that 92 percent of adults aged 44-75 believe there is a retirement crisis in America. Are they right? Is there a retirement crisis? Well, consider the following statistics: Over a quarter of workers do not have any meaningful retirement savings at all - none. Nearly half of the oldest Baby Boomers - who will turn 65 next… Continue Reading
10.05.10
HELP Committee to Examine Retirement Security in America
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced the Committee will hold a hearing on THURSDAY at 10:00 A.M. to examine the state of retirement security in the United States. The hearing will be webcast live at: http://help.senate.gov Testimony and archived videos will be posted at: http://help.senate.gov/hearings/ HEARING: The Wobbly Stool: Retirement (In)security in America WITNESSES: Panel I Phyllis Borzi, Ass… Continue Reading
09.30.10
Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
"This is the third in a series of hearings by this Committee examining the federal investment in for-profit colleges and universities. "As we have seen in recent months, this is a very wealthy and powerful industry. It has spent a small fortune on full-page ads in major newspapers drawing attention to its schools. "I certainly agree that, at their best, for-profit colleges offer a valuable alternative model for higher education. But this Committee's ongoing investigation has brought to light… Continue Reading
09.30.10
New Harkin Report: For-Profit Colleges Offer High Debt, Few Diplomas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report released today by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) reveals that more than half of students at many for-profit colleges will drop out within the first two years, most likely with significant loan debt. The companies themselves, however, are raking in record profits largely comprised of taxpayer dollars. The report concludes that under current law, for-profit schools can be extremely profitable while failing … Continue Reading
08.12.10
Senate Leaders Release Manager’s Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
August 12, 2010 Senate Leaders Release Manager's Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Six Senate leaders have been negotiating in good faith: Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) and lead cosponsors Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Burr (R-NC). The bill is supported by dozens of industry and consumer organizations i… Continue Reading
08.12.10
Senate Leaders Release Manager’s Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
August 12, 2010 Senate Leaders Release Manager's Package of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Six Senate leaders have been negotiating in good faith: Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) and lead cosponsors Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Burr (R-NC). The bill is supported by dozens of industry and consumer organizations i… Continue Reading
08.12.10
Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) on the Food Safety Manager's Package
STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN TOM HARKIN (D-IA) ON THE FOOD SAFETY MANAGER'S PACKAGE WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement on the manager's package for The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Harkin has been working on a bipartisan basis with HELP Committee Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) and lead… Continue Reading
08.04.10
Following GAO Investigation on For-Profit College Recruiting, Chairman Harkin to Issue Document Request for 30 For-Profit Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following the second oversight hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that he will initiate a document request to 30 companies operating for-profit schools. The announcement came at the end of the Committee’s hearing today titled “For-Profit Schools: The Student Recruitment Experience.” This is the second in a series of hearings conducted by the Committee to examine the federal investment in f… Continue Reading
08.04.10
At the HELP Committee Hearing
"This is the second in a series of hearings by this Committee focusing on the growing federal investment in for-profit colleges and universities. "This industry has grown at an extraordinary pace. Over the last ten years, enrollment has increased from 600,000 students to two million students. Federal financial aid to students at for-profits has ballooned from $4.6 billion a decade ago to more than $23 billion, today. The question is: what is driving the explosive growth in this industry? … Continue Reading
07.26.10
Chairman Harkin Holds a Panel Discussion on the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Chairman Harkin holds a panel discussion on the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, "The ADA -- Looking Back, Looking Ahead." Click here to view archive webcast of the panel discussion.… Continue Reading
07.23.10
Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) on New Education Department “Gainful Employment” Regulations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education released proposed regulations on the definition of "gainful employment." "Preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation" is used in the Higher Education Act as one of the eligibility requirements that most for-profit programs, and many less than two year non-profit programs, must meet to receive federal student aid. It is expected that the proposal wil… Continue Reading
07.21.10
At the HELP Committee Hearing “Treating Rare and Neglected Pediatric Diseases: Promoting the Development of New Treatments and Cures”
"Good morning, everyone. We meet today to discuss a profoundly important issue: the lack of effective treatments for rare and neglected diseases. "In addition to my role as chair of this committee, I also serve as chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds health initiatives. In that capacity, I have had no higher priority than to ensure appropriate funding for biomedical research into diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. I am proud of my role in doubling fundi… Continue Reading
