Tom Harkin

We all have things we like and things we don't like, but we must try to refrain from making any one issue a 'deal breaker.'

I am deeply concerned about proposed cuts to the Community Services Block Grant program and LIHEAP.

This bill honors significant investments this committee made in those programs just last year.

I have been deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality early learning programs for most of my career.

Our days are very, very short. I do think we need to look at longer school years also.

I tend to think that we do need longer school days. I don't know about a longer week.

The goal is not to go to college; the goal is to complete at the backend.

This recent investment represents a long overdue opportunity to start moving the needle on college costs and student success.

We want to challenge people to step up and do more here.

It is not too late, but I wish we would have done this 25 years ago.

I think finally the American people, and, certainly, the business community has been behind this forever.

Hopefully, we can come up with a good funding level for the preschool program.

I think there has been tremendous change for the better in our schools in America because of your leadership.

The Department of Education should not pick winners and losers by funding only a few States to the detriment of students in all States.

I think we need to continue these important investments, not cut them and leave fewer of our students served.

The increase proposed for the Department of Education demonstrates this administration's continued commitment to our Nation's future.

I have been a strong supporter of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs' (ILAB) efforts to protect labor rights and combat the worst forms of child labor around the world.

I just hear a lot about this, about misclassification, and how workers are really, well, I will say it frankly, being cheated out of what they should be paid, because of misclassification. I encourage you to really pursue this.

I just say, have your people look at that, because they have a lot of good background information on this.

They have done great work in teaching farmers and farm families how to set up systems so that kids don't get hurt.

I would encourage you, Mr. Secretary, and your staff, to reach out to an organization called Farm Safety for Just Kids.

I hope that we can join forces with these great leaders in the business community.

I want to commend President George Herbert Walker Bush for his leadership.

We hope to have something together shortly on this.

I believe the work of the Labor Department is the work of America.