Tom Harkin

I noticed my friends on the other side going after the Social Security trust funds. The Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Grams, had an amendment to put money into the Social Security trust fund, and they all voted for it. So much for being…

I have an amendment to correct an absurdity in our application of important secrecy policies. This issue would be a laughable example of bureaucratic intransigence except that it is harming workers who may have gotten sick from working on…

It seems as if we can take all kinds of time on the Senate floor--hours, days--talking about how we are going to benefit the richest people in America, many of whom inherited their wealth. After all, that is what estates are; they are…

Let's make it clear. We are not talking about an abortion bill. What we are talking about is a contraceptive pill a young woman would get, the morning after she may have been the victim of rape or incest. This amendment does not deal with…

In all the years I have been on this committee and also on the subcommittee, which now numbers 16, this is the earliest we have ever gotten this bill finished. If I am not mistaken, this may be the first time that this was not the last…

I agree that the importance of LIHEAP advance funding has been demonstrated this past year as many states have faced extreme temperatures and high fuel costs. LIHEAP advance funding is an effective tool that allows states to determine…

I agree that the comprehensive school reform program has had a positive impact in many of our schools. As the bill moves to conference, I will work with Chairman Specter to restore funding for this program.

I rise to support the increase in funding for the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces civil rights laws in health and human services settings. OCR oversees…

As a Senator from Iowa, I understand quite well the challenges to access to care posed in rural states.

I could not help but think when I was listening to the Senator speak, this vote on this amendment--I do not mean to puff it up bigger than it is. We are going to be faced the remainder of this year with vote after vote on what to do with…

I am supporting the amendment of the Senator from South Dakota because I have been involved in this issue for a long time. In 1989, when I was chairman of the subcommittee that my good friend, Senator Specter, chairs now, we started…

What do I mean by ``lockbox''? What I mean is that we are trying to treat Medicare as we treat Social Security; that we are going to say that in the future, the Medicare trust fund should be off budget, should not be counted in budget…

There has been a lot of misperception about IDEA. That misperception is amplified in statement after statement until it almost becomes a state of fact that IDEA is a Federal mandate on the States. I hear it all the time: a Federal mandate…

Back to the point at hand, I want everyone to understand what this mischievous motion is all about. All it does, in order to save the money, is move the date from October 1 to September 30. Last year, we moved it up to October 1; we moved…

We should not be taking it out of school construction and modernization--not at all. Our local school districts need this money. Go out and talk to your school districts. The people who are paying our property taxes are getting hit pretty…

The Senator asks me a legitimate question. As I understand it, under the Voinovich amendment, IDEA is an allowable use under title VI. I believe that is well covered in the Voinovich amendment. Again, the Senator wants to restrict the use…

I just heard my friend from Vermont say some magical words with which I totally agree. I wrote them down as he said them: ``Take budget surpluses and meet our commitments.'' I agree with that. Do you know what? Just this week we now found…

I say to my friend, offer an amendment. The Senator can offer an amendment right now to fully fund IDEA and take it out of budget surpluses. I will support him on it right now.

I thought what is good for the goose is good for the gander. There are Senators on that side of the aisle who have amendments to increase spending in this bill: Senator Cochran, Senator Collins, Senator DeWine, Senator Inhofe, Senator…

While I support improving impact aid around the country, we are getting to the point where we accepted a $10 million cut in administrative costs, and we accepted some more before that, did we not?

I find it interesting, my friend from New Hampshire making this argument. Four years ago, when the Senator from Texas offered a gun amendment on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, I didn't hear a peep from my friend from New…

It is the Republican side that is running the floor that schedules the bills, not the Democrats. My friend from New Hampshire just said he would be willing to have seven amendments on either side.

Yes. I think all of us are committed on this side. I don't speak for the Senator from Pennsylvania. But in my conversations with him, I understand that he is committed to replacing the social services block grant. Clearly, we cannot live…

Now we are going to accept $78 million in administrative costs, which we know we can't do? I know I have some people on this side of the aisle who want to come over and offer amendments that will cut administrative costs. I just ask my…

We are blaming these kids. Title I: Do my colleagues know how much each kid gets from title I? Somewhere between $400 and $600 a year. Go to the best schools in America in high-income areas where they have nice houses and high incomes. Do…