April 15, 2010
Senator Harkin discusses the need for an Education Jobs Fund, which he introduced yesterday, to stave off massive layoffs in schools around the country.
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March 4, 2010
Senator Harkin discussed the momentum behind health reform, underlining for reporters that the time to enact comprehensive health reform legislation is now. He also talked about the HELP Committee's start of a series of hearings exploring the childhood obesity epidemic.
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February 25, 2010
Senator Harkin discusses the President's bipartisan, bicameral summit on health reform and the chances of passing a comprehensive reform bill this year.
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February 4, 2010
Senator Harkin discussed the Recovery Act's positive impact on the middle class and previewed his weekend schedule in Iowa.
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January 28, 2010
Senator Harkin commented on last night's State of the Union address and the roadmap laid out by the President to rebuild our economy.
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January 21, 2010
Today Senator Harkin chaired a hearing in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee to examine options for continued economic recovery that will save or create jobs. Iowa Governor Chet Culver testified before the subcommittee saying that Iowa has used Recovery Act dollars to create thousands of new manufacturing jobs in the green energy sector and retain some 2,000 teachers.
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December 23, 2009
Senator Tom Harkin made remarks today at a press conference following the Senate's passage of a motion to invoke cloture on the Senate health bill, removing the final barrier to its passage. Senator Harkin chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, one of two Senate committees tasked with crafting health reform legislation.
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December 17, 2009
Senator Harkin offers some historical perspective on the fight for health reform and makes the case for passing the bill.
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December 10, 2009
Senator Harkin updated reporters on the steady progress being made towards passage of comprehensive health insurance reform legislation.
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December 4, 2009
Senator Harkin discussed legislation that will impose a modest tax on Wall Street to slow speculation, help create jobs and pay down the deficit.
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November 19, 2009
Senator Harkin discussed the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) determination that the Senate health reform bill will reduce the deficit and cover 94 percent of Americans, while at the same time banning health insurance company abuses and providing a public option for states that opt in.
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November 10, 2009
Senator Harkin discussed the momentum continuing to build following the House passage of a health reform bill, and detailed an investigation he launched last week into insurance company pricing practices for small businesses.
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October 29, 2009
Senate Health Reform Proposal Includes Public Option And America's Retirement Security.
Senator Harkin gives an update on the merged health reform bill the Senate sent to CBO this week, which includes the public option Harkin's Committee passed earlier this year. He also previews today's HELP Committee hearing, "Pensions in Peril: Helping Workers Preserve Retirement Security Through a Recession."
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October 22, 2009
Tom talks gives an update on the H1N1 Flu virus and talks about food safety reform.
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October 15, 2009
How Health Reform Will Benefit Iowa's 65,000 Small Businesses
Senator Harkin discussed the many benefits that small businesses and the self employed stand to gain under proposed health reforms. Harkin also previewed his weekend schedule - he will be in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo meeting with small business owners to discuss the importance of easing the burden of health costs on their bottom line.
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October 8, 2009
Harkin discussed how the story of native Iowan Jack Gross inspired the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which overturns a Supreme Court decision and restores vital civil rights protection to older workers.
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October 1, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses the week's progress on health reform, and highlighted the service of Ray and Joanne Walton and Sherriff Gary and Sandy Launderville, Iowans who were named 'Angels in Adoption' for their advocacy and work on adoption issues.
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September 24, 2009
Senator Harkin talks about the path ahead and the chances of passing comprehensive health reform this year.
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September 17, 2009
Senator Harkin gives an update on the momentum building in Congress to pass a strong health reform bill.
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September 10, 2009
Tom discusses health care reform.
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August 6, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses the Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor. Tom also talks about his upcoming visits back home in Iowa.
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July 23, 2009
Senator Harkin discussed the overall savings of the prevention efforts included in The Affordable Health Choices Act. Tom said that cost-effective screenings and up-front intervention efforts that can prevent tens of millions of occurrences of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease will slash health care costs significantly.
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July 16, 2009
Tom discussed Senate health committee passage of The Affordable Health Choices Act, landmark legislation that will reduce health costs, protect individuals' choice in doctors and plans and assure quality and affordable health care for all Americans.
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July 9, 2009
Senator Harkin discussed the need for a strong public option in health care reform legislation to ensure competition and consumer choice.
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June 18, 2009
Harkin discussed yesterday's HELP Committee consideration of the Affordable Health Choices Act and a letter he received signed by over 700 state legislators who support a public health care plan.
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June 11, 2009
Senator Tom Harkin today praised the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, legislation that will allow the FDA to regulate what tobacco companies put into their products for the first time and dramatically reduce the number of young Americans who become addicted to tobacco. In 1998, Harkin introduced the first comprehensive, bipartisan bill to give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco and was an original cosponsor of the legislation that passed today.
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June 4, 2009
Harkin today discussed his role in crafting the wellness and prevention title of the HELP Committee's health reform legislation as well as the timeline for passing comprehensive health reform. He stressed the importance of putting wellness and disease prevention at the heart of the reform.
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April 2, 2009
Harkin discusses legislation that provides tax credits to companies that offer wellness programs.
The Healthy Workforce Act is legislation that Tom will introduce, which will provide tax cuts to companies that provides comprehensive wellness to their employees. The aim of this bill is to make it easier for businesses to push more of their health care costs upstream. Instead of paying ever-increasing costs for sick employees, this bill will create incentives for employers to help their employees to get healthy and to stay healthy. This is a bipartisan bill, and is strongly supported by the U.S. Workplace Wellness Alliance - a broad coalition including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Heart Association, Dow Chemical, and more than 75 other major businesses.
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March 26, 2009
Tom discusses legislation to expand americorps service programs; treasury department's oversight proposal.
The Serve America Act will build on the successful AmeriCorps national service program. It would more than triple - to 250,000 - the number of full- and part-time national service volunteers eligible for minimal living expenses plus a modest educational stipend at the end of an intensive year of work. The legislation is currently being debated in the Senate.
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March 19, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses outrage over AIG bonus payments.
Tom discusses his outrage regarding the bonus payments made to employees at AIG. This week, it was revealed that millions of dollars were paid in bonuses to employees at companies who are receiving bailout funding. Tom called for action on legislation that would tax those bonuses at close to 100 percent. He also demanded greater oversight of the bailout funds from the Treasury Department.
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March 12, 2009
Tom discusses exploitation of workers with disabilities in Atalissa.
Tom talks about the hearing he chaired this week in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee that assessed the weakness in current law and oversight that contributed to the abuses of 21 disabled men at Henry's Turkey Service in Atalissa. Harkin called for actions that include requiring employers to inform workers about paycheck deductions, outlaw housing deduction that have not been approved, requiring employees with disabilities be certified as eligible for the special minimum wage program and increasing penalties for employers who violate the law.
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March 5, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses role of wellness and prevention in health reform, child nutrition legislation.
Tom discussed his participation in President Obama's Health Care Forum later today. Tom is attending in his role as the leader of the Health Education Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee's working group to craft the prevention and public health title of the reform legislation.
Tom also discussed his role as the Chair of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee in writing legislation to strengthen federal childhood nutrition initiatives.
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February 27, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses role of prevention in health care reform.
Tom discusses President Obama's plan to address comprehensive health care, including prevention and wellness, this year. Tom has been tapped by Senator Edward Kennedy to lead a working group to craft the prevention and public health title of the reform legislation.
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Duration: 3 minutes 30 seconds
February 12, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses importance of economic recovery package.
Tom talks about the importance of the economic recovery package for Iowa and the nation. Close to the end, Tom also touched on the revelations that workers at Henry's Turkey Service in Atalissa were mistreated, calling the actions inexcusable.
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Duration: 6 minutes 19 seconds
February 6, 2009
Senator Harkin discusses need for bold economic stimulus plan.
Tom discussed the need for a bold and substantial plan to stimulate the economy. Tom also talked about the short, intermediate and long term effects that passing the stimulus will have on the economy.
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January 8, 2009
Tom talks about the need for an economic recovery package that delivers maximum short term stimulus and maximum long term benefit
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