On the recordDecember 12, 2014
I wish to recognize a dear friend, Senator Tom Harkin. Senator Harkin will be retiring at the end of the month, but his influence will be felt long after he leaves this Chamber. I speak for all of my colleagues when I say he will be sorely missed. I consider myself lucky to have worked with Tom, and even luckier to call him a friend. Tom has devoted his life to public service. Like any good statesman, Tom is humble about his achievements. Humility is a trait so often lacking in accomplished men, but Tom is an exception. The allure and glamor of Beltway life never held sway over Tom, and his years spent in the Nation's capital have only shown that he is an Iowa man through and through. The only thing that runs deeper than Tom's Iowa roots is the corn that grows there. Tom still lives in the very same house in the very same town where he was born--Cumming, IA, population: 383--a far cry from this bustling metropolis. His family still keeps a farm in Cumming, and I am sure he looks forward to spending many peaceful days there in his retirement. Tom grew up in a family of modest means. His father was a coal miner and his mother a Slovenian immigrant who passed away when Tom was just 10 years old. From an early age, Tom developed his signature work ethic by taking various odd jobs on farms, at construction sites, and even in a bottling plant. Tom's service to our Nation began long before he came to Congress.…
