Podcasts
What is Podcasting?
A podcast is an audio file that you download and listen to on your computer or a portable MP3 player such as an iPod. The word itself comes from the combination of two other words: iPod and broadcast.How can I listen?
Since podcasts are really just MP3 files, you can listen using any number of free players that are easily available.
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.45MB
Duration: 3 minutes 46 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.75MB
Duration: 3 minutes 0 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.10MB
Duration: 2 minutes 17 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.67MB
Duration: 2 minutes 54 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.07MB
Duration: 3 minutes 21 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.54MB
Duration: 2 minutes 46 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.35MB
Duration: 2 minutes 34 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 5.16MB
Duration: 2 minutes 15 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 11.6MB
Duration: 5 minutes 4 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 5.27MB
Duration: 5 minutes 45 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.90MB
Duration: 3 minutes 10 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.21MB
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 5.78MB
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.61MB
Duration: 3 minutes 56 seconds
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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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.55MB
Duration: 3 minutes 52 seconds
December 12, 2008
Tom talks about his focus on health and wellness in the new congress
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.51MB
Duration: 2 minutes 44 seconds
November 20, 2008
Tom thanks Iowans for the confidence they have in him by sending him back to the Senate for another six years. Tom also talks about some of the things he will be focused on in the new congress.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.55MB
Duration: 3 minutes 52 seconds
October 2, 2008
Senator Harkin talks about the vote in the Senate on the economic recovery plan
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.30MB
Duration: 3 minutes 36 seconds
September 25, 2008
Senator Harkin discusses the current financial crises and the solution proposed by the Whitehouse
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 5.54MB
Duration: 6 minutes 3 seconds
September 18, 2008
Senator Harkin discusses the House passage of the ADA Amendments Act
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.55MB
Duration: 2 minutes 47 seconds
September 11, 2008
Tom discusses his continued efforts to secure funds to aid in Iowa’s disaster recovery
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 4.39MB
Duration: 4 minutes 47 seconds
July 31, 2008
Tom discusses his upcoming travels through Iowa during August and he announces more than $10 billion in supplemental appropriations funding for disaster relief in Iowa and other states hit by natural disasters.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.26MB
Duration: 2 minutes 28 seconds
July 24, 2008
Tom Harkin discusses the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which he was the chief sponsor of in the Senate. The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support, but court actions have weakened the law by significantly narrowing the category of who qualifies as an "individual with a disability." Tom is working to remedy this problem and plans to introduce legislation soon that would address the injustices Americans with disabilities are facing in the workplace and restore the promise of the original law.
Senator Harkin also announced that he will be presenting the Frank Harkin Memorial Award to Senator Ted Kennedy who played a critical role in helping pass the ADA in 1990.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.28MB
Duration: 2 minutes 29 seconds
July 17, 2008
Tom talks about new legislation he is introducing called the Biofuels Pipeline Act. Tom also talks about his continued efforts to aid in Iowa's disaster recovery.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.85MB
Duration: 3 minutes 6 seconds
July 10, 2008
Tom talks about his work to secure funds to aid in Iowa’s disaster recovery.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.66MB
Duration: 2 minutes 53 seconds
June 26, 2008
Tom gives updates on important legislation being acted upon now.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.40MB
Duration: 3 minutes 42 seconds
June 18, 2008
Tom talks about the great job the people of Iowa, the local government and groups have done in responding to the disasters in Iowa
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 840KB
Duration: 53 seconds
June 12, 2008
Tom expresses his sadness regarding the boys who died in the tragedy at the Little Sioux Boy Scout camp. Tom also talks about recovery efforts ongoing throughout the state.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.98MB
Duration: 3 minutes 15 seconds
June 4, 2008
Tom talks about the damaging weather that has hit Iowa
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.57MB
Duration: 2 minutes 48 seconds
May 15, 2008
Tom holds a press conference after the passage of the farm bill in the Senate
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 5.73MB
Duration: 3 minutes 7 seconds
May 1, 2008
Tom talks about the Farm Bill negotiations and discusses some of the items contained within the Farm Bill.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 3.13MB
Duration: 3 minutes 25 seconds
April 24, 2008
Tom gives an update on the status of the farm bill.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 4.91MB
Duration: 2 minutes 40 seconds
February 14, 2008
Tom talks about toll the Iraq war is taking on our soldiers and the need to care for them when they return home.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.25MB
Duration: 2 minutes 27 seconds
February 7, 2008
Tom announces the Senate farm bill conferees and urges the bill's progress while President Bush digs in his heels with another veto threat.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.44MB
Duration: 2 minutes 40 seconds
January 31, 2008
Tom talks about his work to keep the farm bill moving forward.
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File Type: MP3
File Size: 2.92MB
Duration: 3 minutes 11 seconds
