Tom Harkin: “I wish to pay tribute and to extend my thanks to one of my smartest and most passionate staff members Zachary Schechter…”

“I wish to pay tribute and to extend my thanks to one of my smartest and most passionate staff members Zachary Schechter Steinberg. A native of Iowa City, IA, Zach started with the office as an intern in the summer of 2007. He became an official staff member immediately upon his graduation from Wesleyan University in 2008. Just 6 years later he serves as the Economic Policy Adviser for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and my most trusted advisor on tax, budget and banking issues. Zach is perhaps the strongest and most knowledgeable staff voice in the Senate on effectively preserving Social Security and on the critical importance of maintaining and strengthening the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Zach has the ability to quickly develop a full understanding of very complicated issues and to work with other staff to forge policy solutions. This is perhaps best illustrated with his work on the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Although newly promoted to legislative assistant, when I was appointed to the conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate bills, he advised me on many narrow convoluted issues. He not only performed well, but won the respect of many of the committee's professional staff for his ideas. Zach also understands that passage of provisions into law is but one step, and has remained a stalwart advocate of successful implementation of the bill.…”