20th Anniversary of the ADA

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the American's with Disabilities Act, Senator Harkin recorded a message to all who have worked to help advance disability rights.



Working class families, small businesses and several mid-sized hospitals around Iowa will be pleased to hear about the implementation of new rules that were contained in the recently passed health reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Obama Administration recently announced two new provisions that will have a major effect In Iowa.

First, new regulations released Friday adjust the low Medicare reimbursement rates for low-volume hospitals, which has in the past caused some Iowa facilities to struggle to keep their doors open. As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Harkin included this provision in the final legislation.

The Obama administration released guidance to small biomedical research firms on how to obtain tax credits for their work to discover new medical treatments. Harkin has been a long-time leader to secure funding for biomedical research as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds health initiatives.

The administration also released data showing how the Affordable Care Act immediately benefits Iowa.

Closing the 'donut hole' and taking steps to combat waste, fraud and abuse.

From The Blog

Honoring America’s Fallen

May 29, 2010

This Memorial Day, Americans will spend time with friends and families at picnics, cookouts and baseball games. But each of us, in the privacy of our hearts, should find a time to remember and thank the men and women of the Armed Forces who served and sacrificed on the field of battle.

Celebrating Arbor Day

April 30, 2010

Today folks in Iowa and across the  country are honoring Arbor Day by planting trees in their community.  Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Our nation can be proud of its efforts to preserve its forests and woodlands and demonstrate a strong measure of our natural resource stewardship.  From the simple pleasure of sitting in the shade on a hot summer day or going on a walk in a forest, to the role trees play in capturing greenhouse gases and providing a home for wildlife, trees are an essential part of our everyday lives and our planet’s well being. And on this day, I encourage people to consider planting a tree in the yard, neighborhood or community space.

Equal Pay for Equal Work

April 20, 2010

Senator Tom Harkin today joined Lily Ledbetter to offer a statement on the Huffington Post in observance of Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into 2010 women must work to earn what men earned in 2009.

Video - Sen. Harkin Talks About the Passage of Comprehensive Health Reform

March 26, 2010

Tom talks about the benefits Iowans stand to gain from the comprehensive health reform bill passed earlier this week: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, passed Thursday by the U.S. Senate.

A new report raises significant concerns about the return on federal investment in financial aid at for-profit colleges and universities. The report, titled "Emerging Risk?: An Overview of Growth, Spending, Student Debt and Unanswered Questions in For-Profit Higher Education," was unveiled today by the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). Later today, the Committee will conduct its first oversight hearing on the matter.

Press Releases

Harkin: Appropriations Bill Makes Historic $1.27 Billion Investment in Prevention and Public Health

July 29, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced a $1.27 billion investment in prevention and public health included in the Fiscal Year 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill.  The bill was approved by the LHHS Subcommittee on Tuesday and will be considered by the full Committee today.  Of this funding, $750 million comes from the new Prevention and Public Health Fund that was created in the recently passed health reform bill, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  The fund provides $15 billion over ten years aimed at providing resources for prevention that will improve public health and reduce health care costs over the long term.

Harkin, Bayh, Bond Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Health and Lower Health Care Costs through Medical-Legal Partnerships

July 29, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Kit Bond (R-MO) today introduced the  bipartisan Medical-Legal Partnerships for Health Act, legislation aimed at improving public health and lowering health care costs by promoting medical-legal partnerships (MLP).  MLPs bring legal aid attorneys into the clinical health care setting to integrate preventive law and preventive medicine.  MLPs provide essential legal assistance, which is often necessary to prevent and treat illness and injury.  For example: domestic violence victims who need medical attention often also need legal help to prevent future abuse; citizens with chronic illnesses often need an attorney to address housing issues, such as lack of heat or the presence of lead paint; and a lawyer can be necessary to get a patient the disability, Medicaid or Medicare benefits to which they are entitled.  To meet this growing demand for MLPs, the legislation introduced today authorizes $10 million to create a Federal MLP demonstration and evaluation program.

Harkin Announces $240,000 to Build and Equip a Fire Station in Gilmore City

July 29, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that Gilmore City, located in Pocahontas and Humbolt Counties, will receive a Community Facility loan of $240,000.  The funds will be used to help acquire, develop, design and construct a fire station and the required ancillary equipment.

Harkin: Grant Funding Provides Critical State Aid for Developing Exchanges; A Major Step Towards Affordable, Accessible Health Care

July 29, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today for announcing the availability of grant funding to help states establish health insurance Exchanges.  Exchanges are competitive health insurance marketplaces that will provide one-stop-shopping for consumers looking to compare and purchase health insurance coverage.  The grants announced today will make $1 million available to each state and the District of Columbia to begin establishing Exchanges, which are required to be operational before 2014.  Senator Harkin was a chief proponent of Exchanges during the health reform debate, and as Chairman of the HELP Committee, will oversee the implementation of Exchanges.