Ranking Member's Press

WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statements responding to the proposed rules for calorie labeling on menus in chain restaurants and vending machines announced by the Food and Drug Administration...

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) called on KV Pharmaceuticals to lower the price of Makena, a drug recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent premature birth for women who have had at least one prior preterm birth.  He also applauded...

WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today released the following statement marking tomorrow’s one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the new health reform law.  As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Harkin played a central role in shaping and passing the bill, and stood...

*As Prepared for Delivery* “This is the Committee’s fourth hearing focusing on the federal investment in for-profit higher education companies, and whether our $26 billion annual investment in this sector is a good value for students and taxpayers.   “We have previously taken a look at specific aspects of this sector,...

Harkin Fights Efforts to Dismantle Health Care Law WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, submitted testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing, titled “Setting Fiscal Priorities in Health Care Funding.” As the first...

Harkin Convenes Hearing on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today convened the first in a series of hearings to examine how to improve employment opportunities for people with intellectual...

Harkin Praises HHS for Commitment to Prevention and Wellness WASHINGTON— Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) welcomed today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of a $750 million investment in disease prevention and wellness, funded through the Prevention and Public Health Fund established by the Affordable...

WASHINGTON – Late yesterday, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to discuss his ongoing investigation into the for-profit education sector and the cynical and misleading tactics used to enroll students in for-profit schools. Citing documents produced to the HELP...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a longtime champion of disability rights, this week urged New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to select a wheelchair accessible taxi in the city’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” competition with the goal of making taxis and the city itself friendlier to people with disabilities.  New...

“I want to welcome everyone to the latest in our series of hearings focusing on retirement security.  This is our first hearing looking specifically at how to make retirement plans work better.  “There is no question that it is getting harder and harder for the average person to retire.  Families are facing unprecedented...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) today made the following comments on the Senate floor about the importance of health reform and the consequences of repealing the law. The Senate is expected to vote on a Republican amendment that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, the health reform bill that was signed into law last year. Repeal...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced the Committee will meet on Thursday at 2:00 P.M. for the next hearing in a series on the growing retirement security crisis.  The hearing will focus on what can be done to help Americans save more for retirement and...

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...