Tom Harkin Quotations

America's health care system is in crisis precisely because we systematically neglect wellness and prevention.

The President must stop gambling with taxpayers' money and get the country back on the path of fiscal sanity.

Stem cell research holds enormous promise for easing human suffering, and federal support is critical to its success.

While President Bush's tax give-aways for the rich are pushing us further into debt, he compensates by increasing the out-of-pocket costs to our veterans.

The Gulf War was like teenage sex. We got in too soon and out too soon.

Let's face it, in America today we don't have a health care system, we have a sick care system. We wait until people become obese, develop chronic diseases, or become disabled - and then we spend untold hundreds of billions annually to try to make them better.

When we debate the impeachment of the president of the United States, this is something that affects every citizen of this country, and I believe they have a right again to witness that debate and to witness how and why we reach those decisions.

Would anyone advocate that we take the fences off the playground for elementary schools and just let kids run around in the streets? ... By the same token, why would we allow schools to sort of poison our kids with junk food?

We are all human. We all make mistakes -- even a president. Most Americans share my belief that it's in our best interests to put this behind us and move on,

What we know is maybe the tip of the iceberg here,

She was a citizen in the best sense of the word. She caused things to happen in our society that made us a better, more caring, more just society.

Shuttering nearly a fourth of the FSA offices in Iowa can only lead to more inconvenience and less service for Iowans.

No one ever wore the title of 'senator' better and used it less.

Obesity now contributes to the death of more than 360,000 Americans a year. The incidence of childhood obesity is now at epidemic levels. Alarm bells are going off all over the place. But our government has done virtually nothing.

If we can have a real recount in every county, it may take a few weeks, but it's worth it.

I believe we are not far from a day when a nation or organization will possess both biological weapons and the will to use them.

He has to go. Nothing, I think, less will suffice, ... It's not enough just for Secretary Rumsfeld to say that some people in the lower ranks are responsible for this -- this goes all the way up.

there is no constitutional or historical precedent for any kind of findings of fact.

has to disagree, just based on the standard of military value.

Having a plan on paper does nothing to protect us, ... Next month is too late. The United States is woefully unprepared for this, and we must get started immediately.

Hurricane Katrina ripped the mask off of George Bush's America,

It almost seems then that they will be allocated based upon a state's ability to pay, ... How are you going to ask Louisiana right now to come up with the money for that. Take Mississippi . They've been hit hard.

Parents still lack basic information on the calorie and fat content on the meals that they and their children eat at restaurants.

Parents should know that our schools are now one of the largest sources of unhealthy food for their kids.

Maybe our bill is not perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than what the House did.

That will have little kids associate learning, associate getting better and progressing with eating Oreo cookies,

US farmers should not have to compete with foreign governments in international markets.

When I first heard about it, I said, 'Oh no, not again.' The Kennedy family ... you talk about star-crossed. They've done a lot of good things, but, my gosh -- they've had a lot of tragedy in that family.

This study shows that when it comes to diet and obesity, American parents are woefully uninformed,

This study should be a wake up call to all Americans, and specifically to those of us in Congress who have stood idly by as more and more junk food inundates our schools,

While NATO has been the cornerstone of U.S. defense policy in Europe, there is no consensus on whether expansion of the alliance into Central and Eastern Europe is a wise and feasible policy.

We as a nation have an obligation to help rebuild, but that doesn't necessarily mean just like it was.

Trust us' is not something the administration can say after Katrina, ... I don't think Congress is in a mood to trust. We want plans. We want specific goals and procedures we're going to take to prepare for this.

This sends all the wrong signals to the troops, ... Rush Limbaugh has a point of view. I mean, a dedicated, right wing point of view. That's fine. That's fine. But you should balance it on the other side also. Especially when it's being funded by other people's money.

This was a half-baked and ill-advised plan from the beginning, ... Thankfully, the public uproar from the plan resulted in it being put off. I will watch closely to make sure this plan isn't repackaged and rolled out again in the future.

While I don't want to unduly alarm anyone, we do have to sound the alarm,

We don't require our astronomers to explore the heavens with 19th century telescopes, and we don't require our geologists to study the Earth with a tape measure. If we are serious about realizing the promise of stem cell research, our biomedical researchers need access to the best stem cell lines available.

What this pandemic could do to us as a people is even more threatening than what a few terrorists could do, even a few terrorists with a nuclear device.

What can I tell you, I don't know anything about him.

What's happening is you have a few right wing ideologues in the House aiming at Castro and hitting our farmers.

We should be preparing right now, setting appropriations, for the introductions of Bradley fighting vehicles, tanks, armored personnel carriers and ground forces into Kosovo,

feeling of embarrassment and being ashamed our government was not responding more forcefully.

I've seen how medals awarded in combat can help tell a child the story of a lost parent or grandparent. These medals can say that these men and women gave their lives in service to their neighbors and to their nation -- and that this nation is a grateful one, ... Today, we say on behalf of every American, thank you.

I've said time and time again, there is little risk of BSE in U.S. beef, but it is obvious that we have not yet convinced key trading partners of that.

so that my constituents and others will know how and why I reached my decision. I have nothing but disdain for and objection to the closing of the Senate doors on this vital matter of impeachment of the president.

Our escalating dependence on foreign and non-renewable sources of energy is heading us down a slippery slope.

Compassionate conservatism is like trying to heat up an old house with warm thoughts. It might make you feel good but it doesn't stop you from freezing,

The Bush administration simply is not trustworthy on this issue, and I am beyond skeptical about these so-called revisions.

Alarm bells must be rung, ... The warning signs are there and we have to start preparing. The time for planning and thinking about it is past. We have to do something immediately.

This is exactly the wrong time to be lowering the wages of workers

This independent analysis from the GAO confirms that, without some protections, everyone loses.

This is the last thing we need right now, partisan bickering and sniping,

As we Iowans say, Howard Dean has his head screwed on right.

It's about 1,100 or 1,200 pages, ... And we got it dated November the 20th. No one's read this bill. Nobody knows what's in it.

It's the midnight hour. We have to get moving on it now, not next year, not after some study group in the White House bangs this thing around for another three months.

Dana Reeve has already faced more than her fair share of adversity, but I know that she will face this latest challenge, as she has the others, with strength, dignity, courage and grace.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that our bill will cost about an average of $1.19 a month, ... So, for less than the cost of a Big Mac, you're guaranteed that the medical decisions that affect your life and the lives of your family are made by you and your doctor, not by HMO accountants.

Students who are given a stipend specifically for housing are still gaming the system, ... I would consider this to be a major failure in the oversight of the program.

It's hard to believe the objective is better service when on its face, this plan to shutter nearly a fourth of Iowa's county offices will lead to more driving, greater inconvenience and less service,

It's woefully inadequate, in terms of taking a look at the promising therapies that people are taking today,

These votes are going to be counted in Florida. If they're not counted now, they are going to be counted next year under Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, ... If the truth comes out next year that in fact Al Gore did win Florida ... what is that going to do for the esteem and the respect of the Supreme Court of the United States?

Their budget slashes renewable energy research and development by more than one third.

I like and respect each one of them, but for me one candidate rose to the top as our best shot to beat George W. Bush and to give Americans the opportunity to take our country back, ... That person is Governor Howard Dean.

I have some real grievances on this issue, ... We have pushed for years to get a natural gas pipeline built from Alaska to the lower 48 states. If this administration had four to five years ago begun saying 'we are going to get that pipeline built', we would be a third of the way done. There are huge natural gas reserves up there. However the natural gas industry in Texas and the Gulf Coast don't want that thing built. We have plenty of natural gas up north - we should have pushed to get it down here.

I'm afraid that if we don't have some peacekeeping forces here that the intimidation and the level of violence might increase to the point where the election could be in jeopardy. And we cannot let that happen,

I know when you're the front-runner, you're going to take hits ... but there comes a point where I believe Democratic candidates ought to restrain themselves a little bit.

If you like the government shutdown, then you'll like this impeachment trial, because it will go on for a long time.

Human cloning will take place, and it will take place in my lifetime. And I don't fear it at all -- I welcome it. I think it's right and proper that we continue this kind of inquiry.

If FDA's testing program is not catching violations, and catching them in time, that needs to be corrected immediately,

I am pleased that the Iowa Department of Education is receiving this important funding to provide gifted and talented programs in alternative schools, ... It is important that all schools in Iowa have the resources to help gifted and talented students reach their full potential.

How many poor people are going to go on the Internet to apply for food stamps?

I do not believe there is any need for this to be dragged out in the media yesterday, today, and now into the weekend. This could have been completed Thursday night and the district court could have reviewed the case.

If Congress is aware of the problems facing poor people in America, cuts in hunger assistance programs should not be part of any deficit reduction package,

For the good of our country, the safety of our troops, and our image around the globe, Secretary Rumsfeld should resign, ... If he does not resign forthwith, the president should fire him.

For the benefit of the United States, for our country, I believe Mr. Rumsfeld has to resign.

You could get into a quagmire that would ... not be a dignified ending to this sad chapter and would not add enough evidentiary value to outweigh the negatives that would be produced with a lengthy trial, ... Fox News Sunday.

This has created ridiculous situations where companies have sought $5 million and as a condition for approval they have been required to have that much money in the bank, ... If they have that much money in the bank, why would they need the loan?

The holes in these protective suits show the holes in the Pentagon's procurement process.

The industry's efforts so far have been woefully inadequate,

All the trashing is coming from the right wing of the Republican Party. I really think it's despicable what they're doing.

All you ever needed to know about this election, you learned from driving. If you want to go backward you put it in 'R'. If you want to go forward you put it in 'D'. Let's move this country forward, let's elect Al Gore and Joe Lieberman.

The first Farm Aid concert helped tremendously to draw national attention to the many thousands of family farmers fighting for survival,

I am a Democrat and I love my party and I want them to have good policies and good candidates, so I hope to be supportive in some way, but I don't intend to be any kind of 'godfather' or something like that.

There is no such thing as a pro-nuclear environmentalist.

The planes were hijacked, the buildings fell, and thousands of lives were lost nearly a thousand miles from here. But the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an attack on the heart of America. And standing here in the heartland of America, we say in one voice We will not give in to terrorists; We will not rest until they are found and defeated; We will win this struggle not for glory, nor wealth, nor power, but for justice, for freedom, and for peace; So help us God.

I fully support President Bush's decision to strike Al Qaeda's terrorist network. Now more than ever, we must stand united as a nation and support our President and our military. It is important to remember that this carefully targeted response is not an attack on a religion, nor a nation, but an attack on terrorism. In Congress, we will continue to work with the White House to do what's needed to bring justice to those who committed the heinous and evil attacks of September 11.

I've always been for immigration reform; in 2007 I just didn't feel it had enough protections.

Politics is like driving. To go backward put it in R. To go forward put it in D.

Prions are highly indestructible.

Obesity now contributes to the death of more than 360,000 Americans a year. The incidence of childhood obesity is now at epidemic levels. Alarm bells are going off all over the place. But our government has done virtually nothing.

Today, only two groups in the United States have total immunity from lawsuits: foreign diplomats and HMOs. We believe it's time to end diplomatic immunity for HMOs. Holding them accountable is the only way to guarantee that you get the health care your family deserves.

[A]s we celebrate 75 years of the minimum wage, we must also recognize that it is no longer achieving its potential impact in our economy or for America's working families. Every American deserves the chance to build a better life for his or her family - and raising the minimum wage will provide that opportunity.

You [the Gallaudet students] have brought the deaf community together.... You are my heroes.

Whereas Iraq has consistently breached its cease-fire agreement between Iraq and the United States, entered into on March 3, 1991, by failing to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction program, and refusing to permit monitoring and verification by United Nations inspections; Whereas Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological capabilities, and has made positive progress toward developing nuclear weapons capabilities

If we are serious about combating the childhood obesity epidemic and improving child nutrition, then everyone must chip in -- parents, schools, and yes even Congress.

It is long past time to eliminate bigotry in the workplace and to ensure equal opportunity for all Americans. It is time to make clear that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans are first class citizens. They are full and welcome members of our American family and they deserve the same civil rights protections as all other Americans. It is time for us to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Such discrimination is wrong and should not be tolerated.