Pursuant to Senate policy, newsletters, petitions, opinion polls and issue alerts and other electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60 day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election
Today in the Senate
May 19:The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. and proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
There will be no roll call votes during Monday's session. The next vote is expected to occur Tuesday morning.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Senate Overwhelmingly Approves Harkin Led Farm Bill That Benefits Iowa
by Harkin Press Staff
Harkin, Chairman of Agriculture Committee, Garners 81 Votes for Farm Bill Conference Agreement
Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and of the Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill, today announced that with a vote of 81-15, the Senate had overwhelmingly approved the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, the farm bill conference agreement. The bill will now be sent to the White House.
Earlier this week, a coalition of more than 500 farm, conservation, nutrition, consumer and religious groups who sent a letter urging Congress to pass this bill. "The conference report makes significant farm policy reforms, protects the safety net for all of America’s food producers, addresses important infrastructure needs for specialty crops, increases funding to feed our nation’s poor, and enhances support for important conservation initiatives," they wrote.
"Senate passage of the farm bill conference report on a strong, bipartisan basis demonstrates support for core farm bill initiatives - conservation, energy, nutrition and rural development - while continuing and strengthening farm income protection. This bill benefits every American, from our smallest towns to our biggest cities, urban and rural residents, farmers and non-farmers," said Chairman Harkin.
"Today, I urge the President to look at this farm bill with fresh eyes and an objective mind. To date, he has focused on a handful of elements in this vast bill that he disagrees with. I urge him to look at the bill as a whole, and to see the many critical investments and reforms in this bill that have won support from both parties, from every region of the country, and from rural and urban members of Congress alike. If he does, I am confident he will conclude that this is a good bill that he can and should sign."
The farm bill would benefit Iowa in the following ways:
Farm Bill: Building a Stronger Farm Safety Net
- The bill continues basic features of the 2002 bill, which farmers have thought worked well, and it gives producers a new option to participate in a state-level revenue protection system. The Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program offers producers better options for managing risk of both yield and price declines on their farms in today’s uncertain, rapidly changing farm environment.
Farm Bill: Making Investments in Conservation
With intensified crop production and millions of acres of fragile, erodible land coming out of the Conservation Reserve Program and put into production, the need for investments in conservation, especially conservation on working lands is even greater. The new bill will help farmers and ranchers with funds and technical assistance to conserve soil, improve water quality and boost wildlife on their land.
- The conservation title increases critical funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program - previously the Conservation Security Program - to grow vigorously. It will enroll over 400,000 acres in Iowa every year in 5-year stewardship contracts - an expanding share of Iowa’s acres enrolling in the program. At anticipated rates per acre, this will add a new set of contracts each year adding nearly $11 million in conservation funding in Iowa - nearly $110 million in new conservation funding through 2012. Over the same time period, Iowa would receive over $189 million in funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), including another $5 million or so between now and the end of September. Together these two programs - now streamlined and much better coordinated - will deliver technical and financial assistance to Iowa’s farmers - and clean water, less soil erosion, and abundant wildlife to the rest of our state.
- The package also maintains the conservation benefits of the Wetland Reserve Program - protecting and restoring wetlands that serve as a critical filter between land and water sources.
Farm Bill: Making Investments in America’s Energy Security
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 included an energy title for the very first time. Yet since that time, dramatic new energy challenges have come into focus: oil prices have more than doubled, global warming is now beyond dispute, and we have grown even more dependent on oil imports from some of the most unstable regions of the world. The energy provisions in the farm bill will help unleash the potential of agriculture and rural communities to supply energy to our nation.
- A new incentive program will encourage farmers to grow biomass crops to supply energy production at biorefineries. This program will help farmers with establishment costs related to these crops and will cover costs related to lost income for crops they would have otherwise grown and the costs of harvesting, storing and transporting the crops to markets. It will also support loans to biomass processing plants. Because Iowa is a leader in biofuels production, we should have an advantage in accessing and utilizing these new bioenergy programs.
- The energy title provides investments in farm-based energy that should assist projects in Iowa to get support from both USDA and the Iowa Power Fund. Iowa’s bioenergy research leadership will also benefit from the increased biomass research and development funding, including funds for biomass crop research and extension grants.
Farm Bill: Making Investments to Help Low-Income Iowans Put Food on the Table
The Food Stamp Program is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, providing modest food assistance to 26 million people each year. Yet, current program rules have not been updated to respond to the challenges of low-income families and the asset limit has not been meaningfully adjusted in 30 years.
- The nutrition title strengthens our commitment to fighting hunger and promoting sound health and nutrition by updating archaic nutrition program rules, increasing Food Stamp benefit levels, and ending the erosion of benefits that has gone unchecked since 1996. These improvements to the Food Stamp Program will benefit many of the 225,000 Iowans who participate in the Food Stamp Program.
The farm bill is also an opportunity to invest in the health and nutrition of American children by expanding the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and invest in the health of the nation by expanding access to farmer’s markets and organic produce.
- The Senate farm bill expands the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program created by Harkin in the 2002 bill to reach nearly 45,000 Iowa elementary school children when fully implemented.
- The bill greatly increases funding, grants and research to growers of fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops. It supports farmer’s markets, direct-to-consumer sales and helps ease the transition to organic farming.
May 14, 2008
Video - Tom Debates the Farm Bill on the Senate Floor
Senator Harkin takes to the floor during the debate of the farm bill.
May 14, 2008
Interning in my Office
Years ago I began my political career as an intern for Iowa Representative Neal Smith in the House of Representatives. The experience provided an invaluable firsthand education into how government operates. I’m looking for bright students who share this interest in public service to apply for internships in my office.
May 2, 2008
Senate-House Conference Committee Adopts Chief Farm Bill Initiatives
Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and of the Senate-House conference committee on the new farm bill, today announced that the conference committee had agreed upon and approved all major elements of the new farm bill. Staff for the Senate and House agriculture committees and for conferees will continue to work through finalizing a few remaining issues and obtaining official budget scoring from the Congressional Budget Office. The completed legislation will have to be approved by both the Senate and House before being sent to the White House.
May 1, 2008
Harkin Brings Farm Bill Closer To Finish Line As White House Threats Increase
In a conference call with Iowa reporters today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill, said he was pushing ahead with a new bill, despite increasing White House threats against the bill. The farm bill Harkin is sheparding through Congress makes critical investments for Iowa in conservation, renewable energy and nutrition.
April 25, 2008
Bipartisan Farm Bill Agreement Will Lead to Strong Final Bill, Says Harkin
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill, today said that the core farm bill utilizing the $10 billion above baseline has been worked out among key farm bill negotiators. Specific details and funding will still have to be worked out and are all subject to ratification by the full conference committee. Chairman Harkin intends to convene the conference committee on Monday.
April 22, 2008
Senator Harkin, Burlington, Iowa Students Lead the Charge to Reverse Childhood Obesity
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today led a rally with Burlington’s Oak Street Middle School students Katherine Milani and Julian Swayzer, and health teacher Betsy DeBower, to reverse childhood obesity and encourage healthy lifestyles. Oak Street participates, along with 24 schools nationwide, in the Healthy Schools Program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which works to improve access to healthier foods, increase opportunities for physical activity and establish school wellness programs.
April 21, 2008
The Fair Pay Act
Mr. President, tomorrow is Fair Pay Day, the day that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned during the previous year.
April 9, 2008
First Farm Bill Conference Meeting
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate-House Conference Committee on the farm bill, today held the first meeting for all Senate and House farm bill conferees. Harkin’s introductory remarks as prepared for delivery are as follows:
March 12, 2008
Senator Harkin Joins Star Athletes in Pushing Physical Activity Guidelines to Address Rising Rates of Obesity, Skyrocketing Health Care Costs
Responding to numerous recent reports that Americans are growing unhealthier and less active, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced legislation today that will set national exercise guidelines for Americans of all ages and ability levels.
February 27, 2008
Harkin Criticizes Bush Administration For Pulling Rug Out From Under Iowa’s Law Enforcement Community, Slashing Their Support
In testimony delivered to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) described how deep cuts to critical law enforcement funds will impact Iowa. A two-thirds cut to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants program in last year’s funding bill – a cut which will cost Iowa $3 million – threatens the ability of Iowa’s sheriffs and police to tackle drugs, fight crime and protect our communities. Harkin told the Committee how the cuts will translate into fewer law enforcement officers and less regional cooperation, and how his home-state will need to eliminate 15 of its 21 successful drug control programs.
