Tom Harkin - Blog

Harkin: New Farm Bill Basically Complete

2008-05-02T17:53:00Z

Tom Harkin, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced that the conference committee working on the 2008 Farm Bill has now approved all of the major elements of the bill. A few remaining issues are being addressed by congressional staff members, but the big issues are resolved and the next steps are for both the House and Senate to approve the final bill before sending to the White House for the President’s signature.

Senator Harkin was bullish on the near completion of the bill.

“Today’s adoption of all major elements of the new farm bill brings us within a few steps of the finish line. The Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill is now in the final stages of a strong, bipartisan bill that that will bring new funding and better policy in core farm bill initiatives – conservation, energy, nutrition and rural development – while continuing and strengthening farm income protection,” Harkin said.

“This bill provides support for everything from agricultural research and beginning farmers to protecting our natural resources and helping to feed hungry families. It looks to the future in renewable energy production and it ensures farmers have the income protection they need. Congressional negotiators have come a long way and are preparing to send the President a farm bill he can sign,” Harkin continued.

Seating the National Guard at the Table

2008-04-24T04:27:00Z

Last week, Congressman Bruce Braley and I led a bipartisan effort of the Iowa delegation, in asking for the National Guard to have a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates making the request.

Because of the burdens of the Iraq War over the last several years, the National Guard has taken on a larger role with greater responsibilities in our nation's defense.

While the demands upon, and the deployments of, our Guard members have increased dramatically, their role in the decision-making process has not.

Last year, for instance, the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of Iowa’s National Guard learned that their tour of duty in Iraq had been extended through their families and the media, instead of the proper chain of command. To add insult to injury, when these men and women arrived home, they were mistakenly told that they did not qualify for the full benefits under the GI Bill due to an error by the Army, even though they had served one of the longest continuous deployments of the Iraq War.

Incidents like this are not unique. The disconnect between the Pentagon and National Guard is real. There's no better way to ensure the National Guard will have a voice in important decisions than giving them a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Finally, our National Guard units are also needed here at home, in order to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies when they are called upon by the states. Giving the National Guard a seat at the table will ensure that they are able to fulfill both roles - in combat and as first responders - and can complete both missions successfully.

The complete letter is below:

Dear Chairman Skelton, Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Hunter, and Ranking Member McCain,

We are writing to thank you for your leadership on the Armed Services Committees, and to urge you to continue your efforts to ensure that the National Guard has the equipment, support services, and power within the Department of Defense (DOD) necessary to adequately protect and provide for National Guard troops and families.

As you well know, the National Guard is serving our country at an unprecedented level. Lengthy and multiple deployments are placing great strains on National Guard troops and families, as well as on National Guard equipment and readiness levels.

As the role of the National Guard has shifted from strategic reserve to operational force, we are concerned that Pentagon policies and culture have not shifted accordingly. Unfortunately, while National Guard soldiers are increasingly being utilized along with active duty forces, we have seen the Pentagon often make decisions that directly impact the National Guard without properly consulting the National Guard or incorporating their requests.

The experience of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard is a good example of the continuing disconnect between the DOD and the National Guard, and of the need for reform. This Battalion was deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2006 and was originally scheduled to return home in April 2007, but had their tour of duty extended as part of last year’s troop surge. When the Pentagon lengthened their tour of duty, they learned of this extension through the media and family members, instead of through the proper chain of command. This improper notification caused much unneeded stress and anxiety for them and their families.

Then, when the Battalion returned home in July 2007, after serving the longest continuous deployment of any ground combat unit in Iraq, they learned that many of them did not qualify for full Montgomery GI Bill benefits because the Pentagon had written their orders several days short of the 730 day requirement. While we are pleased that this problem has now been fixed through the Army Board for the Correction of Military records, this mistake also caused much anxiety for Iowa National Guard troops, and caused much unnecessary hassle for Iowa National Guard leadership.

Currently, members of this Battalion, along with National Guard soldiers from other units, are still waiting to receive the Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence benefit that they are owed from the DOD. It has been over six months now since the last affected Iowa National Guard unit returned home from Iraq, and the Pentagon has still not made a decision about how to pay these troops for this benefit that they are owed. Furthermore, there are indications that the Pentagon is likely to ignore requests from the National Guard that troops be paid a lump sum, and instead require the National Guard to bring troops back onto active duty and give them days off. We are troubled by this, because we have heard concerns from the National Guard that days of paid leave will be less beneficial to troops than a one-time payment, and that bringing troops back onto active duty will be an administrative burden for National Guard leadership and will be disruptive for demobilized troops.

We are pleased that Congress recently acted, through H.R. 4986, the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, to augment the power of the National Guard by elevating the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a 4-Star General, enhancing the duties of the Chief of the Guard Bureau, and making the Guard Bureau a joint activity of the DOD. We are also pleased that this bill includes the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, to help ensure that National Guard and Reserve troops receive the treatment, care, and support they need and deserve when they return home. We hope these provisions will prevent other National Guard troops from experiencing problems similar to those faced by the 1-133rd, and will help ensure that the National Guard leadership has the influence and support in the Pentagon that they need.

We believe we must ensure, however, that the DOD implements these important reforms in a timely manner. That is why we request that you and the Armed Services Committees exercise the appropriate oversight to ensure that these reforms are properly and promptly implemented by the DOD.

We also believe that we must build on the progress made in the 2008 NDAA, and continue to work to enhance the power of the National Guard, and expand and enhance programs that benefit National Guard troops and families. As you craft the Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, we specifically request that you work to enhance the functions of the National Guard Bureau and work to make the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Giving the Chief of the Guard Bureau a seat at the table would help ensure that Pentagon policies, initiatives, and decisions meet the needs of National Guard troops and families, and that the National Guard has the equipment, resources, and support that they need to perform their required domestic and overseas missions.

Thank you again for your leadership, and for your attention to our concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, or if we can be of any assistance to you on these issues.

Sincerely,

Senator Tom Harkin, Representative Bruce Braley, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representative Tom Latham, Representative Leonard Boswell and Representative Dave Loebsack.

Harkin's Statement On the Fair Pay Act

2008-04-24T03:08:00Z

On April 21, Mr. Harkin issued the following floor statement:

Mr. President, tomorrow is Fair Pay Day, the day that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned during the previous year.

It is unbelievable to me that, more than four decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act, women are still making only 77 cents, on average, for every dollar a man makes. In my State of Iowa, the wage gap is even worse. The Iowa Workforce Development agency found that, across all industries, women in Iowa make less than 62 percent of what men make.

Mr. President, discrimination takes many forms. Sometimes discrimination is brazen and in-you-face, like with Jim Crow and apartheid. And sometimes discrimination is silent and insidious. This is exactly what is happening, today, in workplaces across America.

Millions of female-dominated jobs – social workers, teachers, child-care workers, nurses, and so many more – are equivalent to male-dominate jobs. But they pay dramatically less.

On April 21, Mr. Harkin issued the following floor statement:

Mr. President, tomorrow is Fair Pay Day, the day that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned during the previous year.

It is unbelievable to me that, more than four decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act, women are still making only 77 cents, on average, for every dollar a man makes. In my State of Iowa, the wage gap is even worse. The Iowa Workforce Development agency found that, across all industries, women in Iowa make less than 62 percent of what men make.

Mr. President, discrimination takes many forms. Sometimes discrimination is brazen and in-you-face, like with Jim Crow and apartheid. And sometimes discrimination is silent and insidious. This is exactly what is happening, today, in workplaces across America.

Millions of female-dominated jobs – social workers, teachers, child-care workers, nurses, and so many more – are equivalent to male-dominate jobs. But they pay dramatically less.

The Census Bureau has compiled data on hundreds of job categories – hundreds! But it found only five job categories where women typically earn as much as men.

Defenders of this status quo offer all manner of bogus explanations as to why women make less. How many times have I heard the fairy tale that women work for fulfillment while men work to support their families? This ignores the great majority of single women who work to support themselves, and married women whose paycheck is all that allows their family to make ends meet. It ignores the harsh reality that so many women face in the workplace, where they have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, or, say, get pushed into being a cashier when they had applied for a better-paying sales job. These pervasive acts of discrimination deny women fair pay; and they also deny women basic dignity.

Let me cite just one example of the discrimination I am talking about. Last year, in a hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, we heard remarkable testimony from Dr. Philip Cohen of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Cohen compared nurses’ aides, who are overwhelmingly women, and truck drivers, who are overwhelmingly men. In both groups, the average age is 43. Both require “medium” amounts of strength. Nurses’ aides, on average have more education and training. But nurses’ aides make less than 60 percent of what truck drivers make.

Now, given that this discrimination is so obvious and pervasive, you would expect that women would have no trouble obtaining simple justice through the court system. But in a major decision, last June, in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the Supreme Court actually took us backward. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court made it extremely difficult for women to go to court to pursue claims of pay discrimination – even in cases where the discrimination is flagrant.

A jury acknowledged that Lilly Ledbetter, a former supervisor at Goodyear, had been paid $6,000 less than her lowest-paid male counterpart. But the Supreme Court rejected her discrimination claim. The Court held that women workers must file a discrimination claim within 180 days of their pay being set, even if they were not aware at the time that their pay was significantly lower than their male counterparts’.

Well, Mr. President, as Justice Ginsburg said in a forceful dissent, this is totally out of touch with the real world of the workplace. In the real world, pay scales are often kept secret, and employees are in the dark about their co-workers’ salaries. Lacking such information, it is difficult to determine when pay discrimination begins.

Furthermore, vast discrepancies are often a function of time. If your original pay is a little bit lower than your colleagues’ pay, and then over 20 years you get a smaller raise every year, you end up with a giant gap. But if you can only sue for the most recent pay determination, this misses 20 years of discrimination. As a result, in Ms. Ledbetter’s case, she is going to get a dramatically smaller pension for the rest of her life based on that lower pay level.

So what the Ledbetter decision means is that, once the 180-day window for bringing a lawsuit has passed, the discrimination gets grandfathered-in. This creates a free harbor for employers who have paid female workers less than men over a long period of time. Basically, it gives the worst offenders a free pass to continue their gender discrimination.

By the way, several employers have complained to me that if we peg the 180 day limit to any discriminatory paycheck, they’ll just keep accruing liability. Well, I tell them they can stop the clock anytime they want. Just go through the books one day and make sure all the women are being paid fairly. On that day, you stop sending everyone discriminatory paychecks. On that day, everyone gets a fair deal.

Mr. President, Ledbetter was a bad decision. I have joined with Senator Kennedy and others to reverse the damage done by that decision. Our bill would establish that the “unlawful employment practice” under the Civil Rights Act is the payment of a discriminatory salary, not the original setting of the pay level.

This is a good start, but it’s not enough. It’s not good enough to go back to the way the law worked last year, because last year women were still making only 77 cents on the dollar as compared to men. And that is intolerable. Moreover, if pay scales are still kept secret – if there is not transparency – how can women know if they are being discriminated against?

That’s why we need to pass my Fair Pay Act, which I have introduced in every Congress going back to 1996. In addition to requiring that employers provide equal pay for equivalent jobs, my bill also requires disclosure of pay scales and rates for all job categories at a given company. This will give women the information they need to identify discriminatory pay practices – and this could reduce the need for costly litigation in the first place.

I asked Lilly Ledbetter: If she had had this kind of information, could she have negotiated for better pay and could she have avoided litigation. She answered “yes.” Well, there are countless more Lilly Ledbetters out there who are paid less than their male coworkers but will never know about it unless we get them this information.

My Fair Pay Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, race or national origin. Most importantly, it requires each individual employer to provide equal pay for jobs that are comparable in skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.

Twenty States have “fair pay” laws and policies in place for their employees, including my State of Iowa. I would point out that Iowa had a Republican legislature and Governor back in 1985 when this bill was passed into law, so ending wage discrimination against women should not be a partisan issue.

Some say we don't need any more laws; market forces will take care of the wage gap. But, experience shows that there are some injustices that market forces cannot rectify. That is why we passed the Equal Pay Act, the Civil Rights Acts, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Mr. President, I’d like to close with the story of a woman from my state named Angie. She was employed as a field office manager at a temp firm. The employees, there, were not allowed to talk about pay with their coworkers. Only inadvertently did she discover that a male office manager at a similar branch, who had less education and experience, was earning more than she was. In this case, the story ended happily. She cited this information in negotiations with her employer, and she was able to get a raise. But the experience left her feeling bewildered and betrayed. And this ultimately led her to quit her job.

There is a two-fold lesson in this story. The first lesson is that, if we give women information about what their male colleagues are getting, they can negotiate a better deal for themselves in the workplace. The second lesson is that pay discrimination is a harsh reality in the workplace, and it is not only unfair, it is also demeaning and demoralizing.

Individual women should not have to do battle in order to win equal pay. We need more inclusive national laws to make equal pay for equal work a basic standard – and a legal right -- in the American workplace.

Harkin, Feingold Introduce Veteran Suicide Tracking Bill

2008-04-23T16:50:00Z

The Associated Press reported yesterday the introduction of legislation requiring the Veterans Administration to track veteran suicides.

Currently, the VA record suicides and suicide attempts in VA facilities, but do not track how many veterans commit suicide each year outside of those facilities.

VA records show that the number of veterans who kill themselves in VA facilities increased from 492 in 2000 to 790 in 2007.

The Associated Press reported yesterday the introduction of legislation requiring the Veterans Administration to track veteran suicides.

Currently, the VA record suicides and suicide attempts in VA facilities, but do not track how many veterans commit suicide each year outside of those facilities.

VA records show that the number of veterans who kill themselves in VA facilities increased from 492 in 2000 to 790 in 2007.

A recent report by the Rand Corporation also shows that nearly 300,000 American military personnel returning from Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.

Harkin and Feingold say that puts returning veterans at risk for suicide.

The Veterans Suicide Study Act would require the VA to report to Congress how many veterans committed suicide since 1997. The VA would continue to issue reports annually.

It is a companion bill to legislation introduced by Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell.

Harkin Statement on Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Washington

2008-04-17T14:30:00Z

Washington, DC—Senator Tom Harkin released the following statement today after attending a special ceremony at the White House to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to the United States:

“I was humbled to have the unique honor of welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the United States for his first Papal visit. I was struck by the timeliness of his Holiness’s message of global solidarity and diplomacy and his call to maintain our commitment to those who are less fortunate. I hope that Pope Benedict’s visit will inspire Americans of all faiths to renew their commitment to the common good.”

Approved: Three Major Titles of the Farm Bill

2008-04-15T15:15:00Z

Earlier today the Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill, approved three major titles of the bill: credit, research and trade. Staff for committee members continues to work through a few remaining issues in each title, which are expected to be resolved.

Senator Harkin said of the development:

“The farm bill conference committee continues to work toward completion of this farm bill,” said Harkin. “The adoption of these three titles moves toward our overall goal of passing a strong, national bill. These are critical investments that will bring funding and good policy for agriculture research, international food aid and support for beginning farmers to meet needs in agriculture and the changing economy.”

Tom Harkin on General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker

2008-04-09T14:23:00Z

Yesterday, Senator Tom Harkin issued the following statement after General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testified before Congress

“I, along with millions of Americans, waited today to hear General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker propose a clear strategy for our nation’s mission in Iraq – something we have been waiting to hear from this Administration for years. Unfortunately, we heard more of the same.”
Yesterday, Senator Tom Harkin issued the following statement after General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testified before Congress

“I, along with millions of Americans, waited today to hear General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker propose a clear strategy for our nation’s mission in Iraq – something we have been waiting to hear from this Administration for years. Unfortunately, we heard more of the same.”

“The simple truth is that keeping our brave soldiers mired in the Iraqi civil war is breaking our military, bankrupting our treasury, and making our country less safe. Iraq needs a political solution, which only Iraqis can provide, to bring real stability and security to their country.”

“There will be more troops in Iraq this summer than when the temporary surge began more than a year ago. Even General Petraeus admits there is no military solution in Iraq, so keeping 142,000 troops there is not the answer. The current strain on our troops is unsustainable – we simply do not have enough trained and ready troops to indefinitely sustain such high troop levels in Iraq. Pentagon officials have acknowledged that the great demand on our forces has diminished our military readiness and hindered our ability to respond to any new crisis.”

“We have lost more than 4,000 of our men and women, with almost 30,000 injured, many severely. Brigades are not being allowed sufficient time to regroup and retrain, placing enormous strains on our soldiers and their families. Last year, suicides among active-duty soldiers reached their highest level since the Army began keeping records 28 years ago.”

“While the American taxpayer continues to pour $12 billion a month into Iraq, the Iraqi government’s oil revenues are skyrocketing due to soaring oil prices. When the war in Iraq began, the cost of a barrel of oil was $33.51 and the Bush Administration claimed that the Iraqis would pay for most of the reconstruction and basic needs of its people. It has been estimated that Iraq will earn $100 billion in oil revenue in 2007 and 2008. Yet the Iraqi government has billions of dollars sitting in bank accounts collecting interest, while American taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill.”

“If we pursue the Bush stay-the-course mentality, we will quickly reach the decade mark for our military occupation in Iraq. I stand with the millions of Americans who are ready for a new direction.”

A Tragic Anniversary

2008-03-19T17:39:00Z

On this fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we have reached an extraordinary juncture. The so-called surge has failed to achieve its stated objective, which was to facilitate reconciliation within the Iraqi government.

While our brave American troops have performed brilliantly, the Iraqi government, time and again, has failed to take the kinds of actions that will foster national unity. Meanwhile, we have received a series of objective, authoritative reports documenting that the Iraqi government, Army, and police are dysfunctional and riddled with sectarianism and corruption.

The costs of this war have also been monumental. Nearly four thousand American soldiers have lost their lives and thousands more have suffered battle wounds of all kinds.

One of the most important -- but too often overlooked -- tragedies of this war is the growing epidemic of suicide and depression in our military. Last year, suicides among active-duty soldiers reached their highest level since the Army began keeping records 28 years ago.

Last winter, I passed a veteran suicide prevention law that honored Joshua Omvig, a soldier from Grundy Center, Iowa who took his own life after returning from Iraq. Now, we are working to pass a similar comprehensive suicide prevention program that trains active duty soldiers and field medics in coping with stress and depression resulting from service in Iraq.

Click here to help pass the Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act.

The President's stay the course policy in Iraq has brought us more of the same. The same violence. The same dysfunction. The same failure.

The only true way forward in Iraq is to redeploy U.S. forces. Only then will Iraqi leaders have the incentive to resolve their differences and take responsibility for their own future.

But until that time, we must improve the care and conditions facing our brave soldiers in Iraq. The Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act is a critical step in the right direction.

Thanks for your support,

Tom

Tom Harkin on the 5th Anniversary of the War in Iraq

2008-03-18T19:18:00Z

Sen. Tom Harkin issued the following statement ahead of the 5th anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Harkin has been a leader on efforts in Congress to redeploy our troops and bring them home:

"On this fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we have reached an extraordinary juncture. The so-called surge has failed to achieve its stated objective, which was to facilitate reconciliation within the Iraqi government. While our brave American troops have performed brilliantly, the Iraqi government, time and again, has failed to take the kinds of actions that will foster national unity. Meanwhile, we have received a series of objective, authoritative reports documenting that the Iraqi government, Army, and police are dysfunctional and riddled with sectarianism and corruption."

"On this fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we have reached an extraordinary juncture. The so-called surge has failed to achieve its stated objective, which was to facilitate reconciliation within the Iraqi government. While our brave American troops have performed brilliantly, the Iraqi government, time and again, has failed to take the kinds of actions that will foster national unity. Meanwhile, we have received a series of objective, authoritative reports documenting that the Iraqi government, Army, and police are dysfunctional and riddled with sectarianism and corruption."

"In other words, the President’s stay the course policy in Iraq has brought us more of the same. The same violence. The same dysfunction. The same failure."

"Enough is enough. The only true way forward in Iraq is to redeploy U.S. forces. Only then will Iraqi leaders have the incentive to resolve their differences and take responsibility for their own future. And by redeploying our troops to strategic locations elsewhere in the Middle East, we will be able to pursue a more effective strategy in that critical part of the world."

Tom Harkin's Announcement Speech

2008-03-10T14:07:00Z

Senator Tom Harkin delivered his announcement speech today in his hometown of Cumming. Below you can read his remarks as he prepared them for delivery:

Thank you, Ruth, for those kind words. And, most of all, thank you for your love and support for the last 40 years. God has given me more than my fair share of blessings, and having Ruth at my side, as well as our two daughters, has been the greatest blessing of all.

Senator Tom Harkin delivered his announcement speech today in his hometown of Cumming. Below you can read his remarks as he prepared them for delivery:

Thank you, Ruth, for those kind words. And, most of all, thank you for your love and support for the last 40 years. God has given me more than my fair share of blessings, and having Ruth at my side, as well as our two daughters, has been the greatest blessing of all.

You know, they say that Iowa is America’s heartland. But this small town of Cumming is my heartland.

It’s where I learned the values of hard work, honesty, family, faith in God, love of country, care and concern for those less fortunate.

Guided by these values, I have always fought for bold, progressive change . . . change that means improved schools, better jobs, a cleaner environment . . . change that means an America at peace, strong and respected in the world. But in recent years, we’ve gotten badly off track. We need to change direction – and I want to help lead that change.

That’s why, today, I am announcing my candidacy to be your voice and your vote in the United States Senate for another six years!

And it is by no means only Democrats who want change. Most independents and, I dare say, a majority of Republicans agree that our country has gotten seriously off track in the last seven years.

Americans of all walks are hungry for change.

We see an endless, pointless war in Iraq, and we want change.

We see an economy that isn’t working for ordinary Americans, and we want change.

We see not a health care system but a sick care system in this country. And we want to change American into a wellness society focused on good nutrition and disease prevention – keeping people out of the hospital in the first place.

We see run-amok globalization destroying millions of manufacturing jobs in this country – from General Motors to Maytag – and we want change.

We see global warming threatening our children’s future, and we want change.

But, my friends, change can’t just be something that blows with the wind. Change needs to be rooted in values. I just mentioned the values I learned growing up here – things like hard work and faith, caring for your neighbor, creating a better world for our children and grandchildren. That’s who I am. That’s why I’ve always been a proud progressive. And when you are guided by good values and sound principles, you can have the right kind of change . . . change that works . . . change that improves people’s lives in powerful ways.

Something else I’ve learned over the years: People are sick of partisanship and bickering. They want to get things done in Washington.

And the good news, again, is that when the changes you want are based on good values and sound principle, then you can bring people together from all across the political spectrum – Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

This has been true throughout my career in Congress.

For example, I saw the way my brother, Frank, and other people with disabilities were mistreated and discriminated against in the most outrageous ways. So I sponsored and fought for the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. And two of my most important partners in that fight were Republican Senator Bob Dole of Kansas and Republican Attorney General Dick Thornburg.

When I first became chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2002, writing a new farm bill, I put more funding in that bill for conservation than any farm bill ever passed – paying farmers not just for what they grow, but for how they grow it, so we can save our soil, clean our waterways, and increase wildlife habitat. I included the first-ever energy title in a farm bill to ramp up the transition to biofuels and other forms of clean, renewable energy.

I couldn’t have made these changes without strong bipartisan support from people like Republican Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana.

As chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds health, education and labor programs, one of my proudest achievements was doubling funding over five years’ time at the National Institutes of Health for research into cancer, heart disease, autism, Alzheimer’s, and other terrible diseases.

In addition, we dramatically increased funding for Pell Grants to help low-income kids go to college. We fought President Bush’s plan to strip millions of workers of their overtime rights, and we cut funding for the Bush Labor Department’s efforts to undermine unions. I couldn’t have done these things without reaching across the aisle, and without the partnership of Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Looking ahead, my friends, the future demands more change. And I want to use my seniority in the Senate . . . my positions as Ag Committee chairman and chairman of the health, education, and labor funding committee . . . to help lead that change.

In agriculture, I am fighting for a new farm bill that will take us to the next level by expanding conservation, providing more support for rural economic development, moving us aggressively into cellulosic ethanol and other types of clean, renewable energy.

In education, we need to rebuild and modernize schools all across America.

We’ve been doing that here in Iowa with federal grants that I have secured, leveraging nearly $1 billion for school renovation across our state. Again, Iowa is leading the way. But we should be doing this nationwide.

And, by the way, I can’t think of a better way to create new jobs and pull this economy out of recession than by making these kinds of investments in our infrastructure.

Iowans believe that government should play a role in protecting people from abuses and excesses in our markets. It’s not right to stand by like a potted plant while Americans lose their jobs, homes, or pensions.

We need to put a stop to predatory lending, and give people an alternative to foreclosure.

Next year, as Ag Committee chair, I’ll be overseeing reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. This is a great opportunity to tackle the twin epidemic of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes in this country.

I intend to use that bill to get junk food out of our schools, and to make sure that every child gets a healthy start in life.

Another big change we need is to secure quality, affordable heath care for every American. But that’s not all. We need to change our whole mindset when it comes to healthcare. As I said earlier, right now we have a sick care system – a system where all the incentives go to patching up, mending, and fixing. We need to transform America into a wellness society – a society focused on fitness, good nutrition, and disease prevention.

My friends, these are the kinds of progressive changes that I want to help lead!

The fact is, I have the same passion as when I first went to Congress.

I feel the same outrage when I see injustice and unfairness toward any human being.

And I have the same fighting spirit when it comes to standing up for Iowa values and Iowa priorities.

So, today, I am asking you, my fellow Iowans, for your continued trust.

While I run as a proud Democrat, this campaign is not about partisanship.

Our hunger for progressive change is not defined by party affiliation.

We want to come together as Iowans of all walks – Democrats, Republicans, and independents – to chart a new course for this country that we all love so much.

So let’s join together.

Let’s all become partners in this campaign.

And know this: When we are united and working together as Iowans, there is nothing we can’t accomplish to move this country forward!

END

Harkin Responds to Bush Veto of Intelligence Bill

2008-03-08T15:33:00Z

Senator Tom Harkin released the following statement today after President Bush's weekly radio address where he announced his veto of the Intelligence Authorization Bill:

It is absolutely deplorable that this President continues to turn a blind eye to the horrific and illegal interrogation practices festering under his watch. We in Congress joined the more than 30 military Admirals and Generals– including General David Petraeus – in standing up for human rights and acknowledging that torture is not only ineffective, it jeopardizes our safety. I am disappointed that the President has decided to betray our nation’s values and put our country at further risk.

Senator Tom Harkin released the following statement today after President Bush's weekly radio address where he announced his veto of the Intelligence Authorization Bill:

It is absolutely deplorable that this President continues to turn a blind eye to the horrific and illegal interrogation practices festering under his watch. We in Congress joined the more than 30 military Admirals and Generals– including General David Petraeus – in standing up for human rights and acknowledging that torture is not only ineffective, it jeopardizes our safety. I am disappointed that the President has decided to betray our nation’s values and put our country at further risk.

Harkin Begins Announcement Tour

2008-03-07T21:19:00Z

Earlier this week, Senator Tom Harkin announced via an email and an online video, that he will be kicking off his 2008 re-election campaign with a series of events all over the state so that he can continue to fight for a better future for Iowa families:

The first public event is scheduled for Monday, March 10, at 9:00 am in Harkin's hometown of Cumming:

Iowa Leading the Way Tour - Cumming
Celebration Barn at 9:00 am [map]
2225 Cumming Avenue
Public rally, bring your friends!

Show your support for Senator Tom Harkin by clicking here to attend your local Iowa announcement event.

In today's Quad-City Times, Mike Glover reports on how Harkin sees his campaign and the election shaping up:

Harkin, 68, plans to make the formal announcement Monday morning in his hometown of Cumming, but there's no suspense about his decision. He has been raising money and building a campaign organization for months. He's setting the stage for the announcement with a series of fundraisers in virtually every corner of the state, beginning Friday in Davenport and Dubuque and sweeping through Burlington, Ames, Iowa City, Storm Lake and Sioux City before ending Monday night in Council Bluffs.

Though Republicans have unable to find a a high-profile candidate to oppose Harkin, he made it clear during a conference call with Iowa reporters that he has no plans to coast through the campaign.

"I will tell Iowans what I will do for the next six years," Harkin said. "I feel very good about the breadth of support I've gotten. Many prominent Republicans around Iowa have said they will not only support me, they have contributed to my campaign."

Harkin Fights to Restore Anti-Drug Program Funding

2008-02-28T19:04:00Z

Tom Harkin delivered testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs to call attention to the Bush Administration's budget cuts to Iowa's law enforcement community. The two-thirds cut to the Bryne Justice Assistance Grants program will cost Iowa $3 million and it will hamper Iowa's sheriffs and police to tackle drugs, fight crime, and protect Iowa communities. In a statement released yesterday, Harkin stated:

"It is no accident that over the past fifteen years, Iowa's and the country's law enforcement has made tremendous strides in reducing the level of crime and violence. This decline in crime was due in no small measure to federal assistance through the Byrne program," said Harkin. "By insisting on devastating cuts to Byrne last year, and trying to kill the program in this year's budget, the president's cuts are trying to cripple law enforcement. His action shortchanges our law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our neighborhoods safe and his action means fewer officers on the street, fewer investigations, and more criminals preying on our communities."

Due to Bush's budget cuts, Iowa will be forced to eliminate 15 of its 21 successful anti-drug programs. Just last year the Bryne-grant supported drug task forces seized $31 million in illegal drugs and made over 2,000 drug-related criminal convictions.

Senator Tom Harkin plans to continue to fight to restore this critical funding for Iowa's law enforcement personal so that Iowa's neighborhoods will remain safe and drug free

Banning Torture

2008-02-13T19:55:00Z

Yesterday, the Senate passed the Intelligence Authorization Act, which bans the use of torture by the United States government. Under the Act, specific practices that the Bush Administration has employed, including waterboarding, electric shocks, beatings, use of dogs, forcing prisoners to stand naked, and induced hypothermia, will be explicitly prohibited. It was a close vote, but Democrats prevailed in our effort to regain our moral authority around the world.

The President has, throughout his entire administration, damaged our credibility around the world by sanctioning the use of torture. We lost our moral balance when this president lowered our standards on this critical issue. The world expects more from us and we should meet and exceed those expectations.

Going back to ratification of the Geneva Convention over fifty years ago, Congress has repeatedly stated that torture is a violation of the nation’s highest values and is simply not permitted. The Bush Administration has simply refused to acknowledge that the practices it has employed are illegal.

The Senate’s vote made it very clear that abuse and torture of detainees is a crime that will not be tolerated. Not only is torture against our nation’s values, it is simply ineffective, as our military has repeatedly emphasized. Notable military officials and veterans have deplored these tactics, including General David Petraeus. But this reckless president and his Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, continue to tarnish America’s integrity by sanctioning torture.

As we continue to look toward the future, we can not afford to sit back and wait for a new president to restore our moral standing around the world.

I am proud of what the Senate did to ban torture.

Thanks for your continued support,

Tom

Bush Threatens to Veto Farm Bill

2008-02-06T19:33:00Z

The Associated Press is reporting that President Bush threatened to veto Sen. Tom Harkin's Farm Bill today during a speech at the Department of Agriculture.

In response, Senator Tom Harkin issued the following statement today:

The Associated Press is reporting that President Bush threatened to veto Sen. Tom Harkin's Farm Bill today during a speech at the Department of Agriculture.

In response, Senator Tom Harkin issued the following statement today:

"For President Bush to continue to take a hard line and threaten to veto a farm bill is unproductive and against the bipartisan spirit that made this bill a reality and that carried it through the Senate with one of the largest votes in the history of farm bills. This measure is critical for our farming families and rural communities in Iowa and across this country, so I urge the president to back away from this position and instead work with farm bill negotiators to come up with a bill he can sign. The Senate farm bill is a good, strong measure that balances spending with revenues raised by closing tax loopholes and ending tax abuses – not by raising taxes – as the President has suggested."

Stand with Tom. Click here and sign the petition to tell President Bush and the Congress to pass the Farm Bill today.