By Senator Tom Harkin

On February 5th, our country marked the 20th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - a groundbreaking law that provides American workers with 12 weeks of protected ? albeit unpaid ? leave to recover from a serious illness or care for a new child or seriously ill family member. A recent update provides 26 weeks of family leave to families of injured service members and recent veterans.

The FMLA changed the landscape for hardworking Americans.  While we celebrate this progress, we realize there is still work to be done when it comes to helping working families, and that includes guaranteeing paid sick time to individuals that work hard, earn it, and deserve it.

In the coming weeks, I will introduce the Healthy Families Act, a bill that would allow workers to earn up to 56 hours, or seven days, of paid sick time per year.  Workers would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.  Employers that already provide paid sick time will not have to change their current policies, as long as their existing time can be used for the same purposes. Employers can also require workers to provide documentation supporting any request for leave longer than three consecutive days.

The United States is the only developed nation that does not guarantee paid sick days to its workers, and our economy and productivity suffer as a result. Contrary to popular belief, not absenteeism, but "presenteeism"? when a sick employee shows up to the workplace, infects other employees or customers, and is unproductive because they are not feeling well ? is the greatest cause of lost productivity due to illness. One study found that a lack of paid sick days ? and thus the inability to distance oneself from co-workers ? contributed to an additional 5 million cases of the H1N1 flu during the 2009 outbreak.

Seventy percent of low-wage workers ? those least likely to be able to afford a lost paycheck or lost job ? have no paid sick days. This group is largely workers in jobs that have frequent contact with members of the public, including food service, hospitality, nursing home care, and child care. Their lack of paid sick leave poses a public health threat to all of us and our loved ones. Shockingly, nearly two-thirds of restaurant workers have reported cooking or serving food while sick. Workers' rights should matter to everyone, but they matter even more when you consider that your next turkey sandwich might be served with a side of the flu.

But perhaps most important, under the Healthy Families Act, workers would have the security of knowing that when illness strikes ? as it undoubtedly will ? they will be able to tend to their families and themselves without losing their jobs or their income. This bill will provide health, peace of mind and security for America's workers and their families ? and that's something that everyone deserves.

For more information, please visit http://www.harkin.senate.gov/ or follow Senator Harkin on Facebook and Twitter.

A PDF version of this article is available by clicking here.

 

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Thanks Iowans for dedication during his nearly 40 years in public service

Outlines full HELP Committee agenda for next two years

CUMMING, Iowa - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement on his plans for the future, including his decision not to seek reelection for his U.S. Senate term expiring in 2014.  In doing so, he thanked Iowans for their dedication over the course of his career in public service and outlined his agenda for the HELP Committee over the next two years:

"I have been thinking hard about the decision whether to run for a sixth term in the United States Senate for a number of months - even more these last few weeks.  I've reached a decision, and what I've decided really boils down to two things," said Harkin. "First, I'm going to fulfill a promise that I made to my wife Ruth, and that I also made to myself.  It's a promise that we're going to do certain things together - and that we're going to live together in a way we've often talked about - before it gets too late.  That's a decision I believe many Iowans can relate to, either because of their own circumstances, or perhaps those of their parents.  I have the privilege to be able to make this decision on my own terms, which not everyone can, and I'm deeply grateful to the people of Iowa that I do have that opportunity.  I've been extremely fortunate. I was born here in Cumming in modest circumstances. My father was a coal-miner with just an 8th-grade education. My mother arrived to this country as an immigrant with virtually no earthly possessions. This state and this country have allowed me to enjoy a life and career beyond anything I imagined as a boy or young man.

"Second, I'm 73 years old right now.  At the end of this term I'll be 75.  When the current Congress is over, I will have served in the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for a total of 40 years.  After 40 years, I just feel it's somebody else's turn.  I can't put into words what an honor it is to serve Iowa.  And I don't by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this Congress.  But I am going to make way for someone new in this Senate seat.  I think that is right not just for me, but for Iowa, as well."

In announcing his plans, Harkin said that over the next two years in Congress, he would continue to advance a policy agenda that benefits Iowa.  Among his priorities:

• Moving forward with bills to ensure that all Americans are able to achieve the promise of a quality education - beginning in early childhood, continuing through elementary and high school, and culminating with higher education. 
• Working to significantly increase the employment of individuals with disabilities, in order to continue to fulfill the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Advancing his proposal of a new type of pension plan, the USA Retirement Fund, to provide Americans with a secure source of retirement income for life. 
• Ensuring the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

As an appropriator and as chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds health, education, and labor, Harkin would ensure these initiatives have the funding necessary for implementation.  So too would he continue to advance farm policy that improves, and strengthens a number of initiatives that we included in previous farm bills to assist and promote opportunities for farmers and good nutrition for consumers through farmers markets and increased local production and marketing of food.

"More than 40 years ago, I came to Washington with a simple goal: help people.  It was that goal that has inspired me throughout my career and one that will continue to inspire my work.  Iowans entrusted me with a great responsibility when they first elected me to public office in 1974.  It is a responsibility I have never forgotten as I represented them in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate," Harkin concluded.

Tom Harkin has represented Iowa in Congress for 38 years.  First winning election to the U.S. House in 1974, he represented Iowa's Fifth Congressional District until 1984, when he challenged an incumbent Senator and won.  Iowans returned him to the Senate in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008.  He is the first Iowa Democrat to win as many consecutives terms in the U.S. Senate.

Harkin has a lengthy record of achievements, among the highlights of his career:

• Advancing the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities;
• Strengthening the Middle Class through Health, Education, and Retirement Security Policies and Investments;
• Promoting a Strong Agriculture Economy, Sound Conservation, and Renewable Energy;
• Protecting Human Rights and Combatting the Worst Forms of Child Labor;
• Providing Funding to Maintain Modern Schools & Access to Healthier Communities;
• Ensuring Iowans have access to Disaster Relief and Flood Prevention and Mitigation;
• In Iowa, his office holds a record of strong constituent services, having logged its 100,000th constituent case earlier this year.

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By Senator Tom Harkin

November 11th is Veterans Day, a time to celebrate and thank those who have served in The United States Armed Forces - some 22.6 million veterans around the country, more than 240,000 of whom are Iowans.   As a veteran and member of American Legion Post 562 in Cumming, I know the profound love a veteran has for this country.  All veterans showed their patriotism by defending this country when their service was needed.  Honoring that sacrifice is something we all have a stake in.

To that end, my office is working to ensure veterans have access to education benefits, health care, and other services to ensure they are successful both on and off the battlefield.

As a member of the Veterans Jobs Caucus, I supported the Veterans' Jobs Bill, which would have provided $1 billion over five years to help veterans find work in their communities.  Passage of this legislation is critical not only to the economic security of our veterans, but also to the communities across Iowa and the country that stand to benefit from their contributions to the economy.

As a recipient of the original GI Bill benefits, I understand how critical this assistance is for returning veterans' success.  For that reason, I am working to protect these benefits against low-quality for-profit colleges that overpromise, overcharge, and under-deliver to our veterans, using slick marketing campaigns to recruit them in order to profit off their education benefits.  In fact, data collected by the Senate HELP Committee shows that these benefits may be aiding some schools that otherwise would struggle to meet federal rules.

Legislation I have introduced will ensure that taxpayers' investment in federal assistance for college students is used to educate and support students, rather than being wasted on advertising, marketing, and recruitment.  The Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act will maximize federal student aid by prohibiting the use of Pell Grants, federal student loans, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, and other federal education funds for such practices, similar to a current law that bans the use of federal higher education dollars for lobbying.  In addition, I have worked on a bipartisan basis on legislation aimed at providing every veteran who receives educational assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the counseling services needed to make informed decisions about their education.

I also continue to hear from veterans about service medals that have not been awarded.  My office has helped countless veterans and their families obtain medals.  Please contact any of my offices in Iowa or Washington, D.C. to inquire about this service.  My staff is happy to assist any constituent to receive the recognition they have rightly earned.

We only accomplish our mission by working together.  This lesson is as applicable now as it was during my years of service.  And I join my fellow Americans in honoring the brave men and woman who have served our country and in pledging to do all that I can to ensure their success both on the battlefield, but also in their civilian life.

For more information, please visit http://www.harkin.senate.gov/.

A PDF version of the column is available by clicking here.

Early voting has started, and here in Iowa, every day from now through November 6th is Election Day.

That means you can vote right away in person at early voting locations, or with a vote-by-mail ballot.

Find out how.

I cast my ballot early for President Obama because of what he has done to make quality, affordable health care accessible, to increase college affordability, to promote clean energy jobs and an extension of the wind production tax credit, and to show his commitment to our troops and their families -- all of which are so important here in Iowa and around the country.

With so much at stake for our country, you shouldn't wait to vote for President Obama and Iowa Democrats, either.

Every ballot cast early builds our momentum towards celebrating a victory on Election Night, so let's keep moving forward with President Obama and Iowa Democrats who are fighting for all of us.

The best way to do that is to join the tens of thousands of Iowans who, like me, have already voted in this election.

Take a moment to find out where to vote early in your neighborhood:

http://my.barackobama.com/Iowa-Votes-Early