Tom Harkin

The part of the budget devoted to firefighting has gone from 20 to 50 percent, taking away critical resources.

We face an economic crisis of historic proportions and ramifications which, I think, will very likely challenge USDA on almost all of its fronts.

I hope that given all of our support for organic agriculture and for specialty crops and all of that, which I am totally for, that we do not ignore the person who really produces the food and fiber for this country.

We hope that you will work with us that and understand, again, the way that we come together to both recognize and respect one another's diversities.

Our commodity programs are often criticized and seldom praised by those who have neither worked in a field nor whose livelihood depends on the weather.

But to have the administration, the current administration come up with rules that have nothing to do with what our intent was is extremely frustrating.

I just don't think, again, that we should lose sight of the fact that our farmers and ranchers do produce the food and fiber that now we desperately need worldwide.

I don't want the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times preaching to me anymore about the modest assistance that we provide to our farmers in America.

We are looking for a champion. We are looking for someone who is going to really recognize the hard work, the dedication, the pride that exists in all of our farm families.

It is unacceptable and it undercuts our Federal investment in school meals.

The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly approved the 2008 farm bill.

USDA must closely monitor our production sector and ensure that any legislative priorities treat all areas of the country fairly.

Our most basic strength as a Nation resides in our ability to produce a safe, abundant, and affordable food supply.

The position of Secretary is critically important not only to America's agriculture producers but to every U.S. citizen.

Our health care system needs to be reoriented toward prevention and wellness.

Iowa agriculture is certainly going to be well represented in both branches of Government.

The Secretary of Education, along with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, they have the task of defining America, who we are and what we are as a people and how we progress and what kind of society we are going to be.

You have a big job ahead of you. I don't think there is any Secretary whose decisions, whose statements, public posture has more effect on the American people intimately than yours.

We are in the business of educating kids and not letting them play on monkey bars.

Thank you very much.

How we progress as a country and how we are going to maintain our standard of living, our way of life, and provide for equality of opportunity for all our kids really comes down to what kind of education system we have.

Can you give us some specificity as to how we can make college opportunity more affordable for the young people of America so that more of them can go to college and so that more of them will not leave college with these very oppressive…

There is no magic bullet anywhere along the line.

One of the results of No Child Left Behind... is that... the first teachers to go... is usually the art teacher or the music teacher or the phys ed teacher.

We have it in Iowa and a few other States, and we have been funding it. All of the indications are that it has been a great success.