Ranking Member's Press

WASHINGTON – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) released the following statement on today’s ruling by Florida U.S. District Court judge Roger Vinson on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:  “Since the Affordable Care Act passed, opponents of reform have filed...

WASHINGTON – Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), tonight released the following joint statement after President Obama called for education reform in his State of the Union address:“Tonight President Obama renewed his pledge...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At this morning’s hearing, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and other members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) heard testimony from Americans who are already experiencing benefits of the Affordable Care Act.  One witness, a 21 year old named Emily Schlichting who suffers from a...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, made the following remarks on the benefits of health reform at the Families USA’s 16th Annual Health Action Conference in Washington, D.C. today.  Harkin was the first speaker at the conference, which is expected to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today reintroduced major legislation to create a healthier future for America by giving our citizens access to better preventive care and consumer information to encourage healthier lifestyles.  The Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention America Act, also known as the HeLP America Act,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, will be the opening speaker at the Families USA’s 16th Annual Health Action Conference, which begins this Thursday, January 27 at 8:30am.  The conference, which is expected to draw more than 800 health care...

WASHINGTON – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced the Committee will meet on Thursday at 10:00 A.M. to examine how the Affordable Care Act protects consumers against insurance industry abuses.  The hearing, entitled “The Affordable Care Act: The Impact of Health...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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...

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...

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.

“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...

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...

“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...

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...

  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...