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Tom Harkin is a former U.S. Senator from Iowa who served from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Harkin was known for his advocacy on disability rights and health care reform. He played a significant role in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and was a strong proponent of mental health services and education initiatives. Throughout his tenure, Harkin focused on issues affecting working families and rural communities in Iowa.
The other reason I have heard that they had had trouble with Bonnie Campbell is that she wasn't nominated until early this year. I did some further research. Again, I ask the Senator, he has a lot of institutional knowledge. I looked up…
I want to ask the Senator this question. The Senator knows the person who heads the Violence Against Women Office in the Department of Justice, the former attorney general of the State of Iowa, Bonnie Campbell. She is the first and only…
I can tell the Senator, no one has ever said that to me. In fact, Republicans in Iowa ask me why she is being held up. Why isn't she going through? Mainstream Republicans are asking me that. Editorials are being written in Iowa papers…
I am not on the Judiciary Committee. I had my staff look this up. I did remember Mr. Carnes, who was highly controversial, a very conservative assistant attorney general who was nominated that year, a lot of civil rights groups opposed him…
I did want to engage in this colloquy because of the history of the circuit judges. But, more specifically, everybody is now talking about the Violence Against Women Act and how it needs to be reauthorized. That must be done. Yet everybody…
And we had the juvenile justice bill that included the school safety provision, the child safety gun locks and included a fix to close the gunshow loophole. Why are they only willing to vote on this important legislation after the…
That's it. That's what they're saying. Speaker Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the beginning of this year promised we would have all of the appropriations bills to the President before the August recess. We are at the…
Let's take them up. Let's have a debate. Don't let anybody say with a straight face or with any credibility that it's the Democrats holding things up. Let's get to the bills. Let's get them done. Let's offer the amendments and move it…
Bonnie Campbell has, for the last 4 years, directed the Office of Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice. I can't find one person on either side of the aisle who says she hasn't done a superb job. She has received accolades…
We ought to think about some way. Thinking about 'lame duck,' I don't know where that term ever came from. I have to look it up. I am sure there is some history around here about what a lame duck session means, where that name came from…
I understand another disturbing event has happened this morning. I am informed that the Senate Judiciary Committee has met this morning and has refused to report out any more judges--refused to do so; just stopped. Again, this flies in the…
I say to my friend, it seems to me what we are facing is that the majority party, in charge of the Senate, in charge of the House, they want to replace the tough votes we have to take around here, that we should be taking around here--they…
It is not something they need help with 10 years from now. They need it now. That is why we need to bring that legislation out here and vote on prescription drugs, helping those people out. But we are precluded from doing so. I am hopeful…
the Senate has just voted on one of the most significant and controversial bills of this Congress. I would like to take this opportunity to share my views on the issues involved and explain the process I went through in making my decision…
the ADA, of course, ultimately is about our children. They will be the first generation to grow up with the ADA--the first generation in which children with and without disabilities play together on the playground, learn together in…
I ask the indulgence of the Senate to do something that I did 10 years ago; that is, to recognize the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by doing what I did on the floor 10 years ago. I will do a little bit of sign…
I wanted to thank the managers of the FY 2001 Agriculture Appropriations bill for their cooperation in including the amendment for emergency methamphetamine lab cleanup funds that Senator Hutchinson and I had offered as part of the bill's…
Thank you. Mr. President, let's go back to where we were a few hours ago when I first offered an amendment this morning. That amendment would state clearly that the Department of Agriculture--the Secretary of Agriculture--had the authority…
As the Senator and I were talking earlier, lawyers can argue about words and what they mean. Still, the words that are used in the Senator's amendment seem to indicate to me we have to go through rulemaking. Again, I am concerned, if that…
Again, I understand that. But I am concerned about the words ``promulgated with the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.'' I don't mind that. They were involved with the standards established in…
All I want to be satisfied about is that there will be enforceable standards in effect. From what I hear, I like it. I want the committee to be involved in advising the Secretary. If the Senator tells me that the present rules that have…
I hope we can engage in a colloquy on this because this is a very serious matter. I don't want there to be misperceptions out there. The Senator from Mississippi just got through saying, more than once, that what we are being asked to do…
I reclaim the floor. I was hoping there might be a reasonable outcome. As I said, the Record will show earlier I said there were two problems with the amendment. One was with adulteration, which the Senator took care of. The other was the…
I have no problem with that. If that is the intent, to say--I will repeat to make sure I do not misunderstand--that the Senator's intent by using the word ``promulgate'' is to say that any future rulemaking--I want to make sure the Senator…
the State of Georgia and the United States of America lost a great, decent leader yesterday. Paul Coverdell was one of the quiet heroes of this Senate Chamber. He was not showy; he was not proud; he was not here for the credit or the…
Politicians like Tom Harkin
