Inauguration
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For information regarding the 56th Inauguration and activities around the 56th Inauguration check out the Senate's official Inauguration page.
Senate Update
December 12, 2008:The Senate stands in recess for pro forma sessions only, with no business conducted on the following days and times: Friday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m.; Tuesday, December 16 at 11:00 a.m.; Friday, December 19 at 10:00 a.m.; Tuesday, December 23 at 11:00 a.m.; Friday, December 26 at 11:00 a.m.; Tuesday, December 30 at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, January 2 at 10:00 a.m.
At the close of the pro forma Session on January 2, 2009, the Senate will stand adjourned sine die.
December 18, 2008
Harkin Welcomes News That Fellow Iowan Tom Vilsack Nominated For Agriculture Secretary
by Harkin Press Staff
Senator Tom Harkin today issued the following comment after President-Elect Obama announced that he had nominated Tom Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Committee that will hold nomination hearings.
"Tom Vilsack has a strong record in Iowa on building opportunities in renewable energy, conservation, food and nutrition, experience that will serve him well as Secretary of Agriculture. With our economy in a downturn, Tom Vilsack knows how to bring change that will rebuild rural economies and keep them vibrant. As someone who has been a supporter of Tom Vilsack from the time he ran for Governor to the time he ran for President, I believe he will be a strong Secretary of Agriculture and I expect a swift confirmation by the Senate Agriculture Committee."
December 16, 2008
On the Nomination of Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education
I applaud this morning’s announcement of Arne Duncan as the nominee to be the next Secretary of Education.
November 19, 2008
Harkin Chosen To Spearhead Prevention Elements Of Health Care Reform Bill
Senator Harkin was pleased to accept an invitation today from Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), to lead a working group tasked with crafting the prevention and public health components of the health care reform bill.
November 10, 2008
Keeping Faith with Our Veterans
Veterans Day is a welcome occasion to pause and salute America’s 24 million veterans, and to thank them for their service to our nation. But we must also honor our veterans in practical ways, and this means ensuring that they receive the benefits and recognition that they earned.
October 27, 2008
Harkin Announces More Than $71 Million Coming To Iowa For Flood Relief
Senator Harkin today announced that that Iowa will receive an additional $71.69 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for disaster relief through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. These funds are part of the $300 million that HUD released to Iowa and other states affected by natural disasters and were included in the first emergency spending package that Harkin led the fight to secure.
October 7, 2008
As Harkin Grants Celebrate 10th Anniversary, Senator Tours East High School In Des Moines
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today kicked off his tour of schools that are recipients of Harkin Grants at East High School in Des Moines. The Des Moines School Board was also presented with a copy of the Congressional Record that Harkin submitted honoring their accomplishments. Since 1998, Harkin has secured a total of $121 million for the state government in Iowa, which selects worthy school districts to receive these grants for a range of renovation and repair efforts – everything from updating fire-safety systems to building new schools or renovating existing facilities.
September 25, 2008
Senator Harkin’s Statement Regarding ADA Amendments Act Becoming Law
Senator Tom Harkin released the following statement today after President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. The bill was recently passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate. Harkin was the lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate.
September 23, 2008
Harkin, Grassley Announce Almost $23 Billion In Federal Aid For Iowa And Other States Hit By Disasters
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced tonight that nearly $23 billion in disaster aid will be included in a package of defense and homeland security appropriations and a continuing funding measure. Developed by Senate and House appropriators, action on the must-pass legislation is expected in both the House and Senate this week. The disaster package builds on the $2.65 billion in disaster aid that Congress passed immediately after flood waters hit Iowa in June.
September 17, 2008
Harkin Statement On House Passage Of The ADA Amendments Act
Senator Tom Harkin released the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act unanimously by voice vote. Last week the Senate passed the Harkin led bill by unanimous consent. The bill now goes to the President’s desk for his signature.
September 11, 2008
Harkin, Hatch Measure Fulfilling Promise Of Americans With Disabilities Act Passes Senate Unanimously
Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today announced that the Senate had approved by unanimous consent a bill that would clarify the law’s intent and ensure that all Americans with disabilities are protected from discrimination. The bill will need to be acted upon by the House of Representatives before being sent to the President’s desk.
September 10, 2008
Senators Harkin And Clinton Assail Bush Administration For Failing To Crack Down On Pay Discrimination
Unveiling the findings of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today assailed the Bush Administration for its failure to crack down on pay inequity. The report, which Senators Harkin and Clinton requested along with Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), shows that the federal government has failed to adequately monitor enforcement of our nation’s pay discrimination laws. In light of the findings, the Senators reiterated their call for the Senate to pass legislation that would strengthen our pay discrimination laws and take steps to erase pay inequities, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Fair Pay Act, and the Paycheck Fairness Act.
