House Resolution 17 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 17 BY M. SMITH , OLDSON , H. MILLER , T. OLSON , RUNNING-MARQUARDT , RIDING , FORBES , KELLEY , HUNTER , MUHLBAUER , GAINES , STECKMAN , WOOD , JACOBY , PRICHARD , STAED , COHOON , LYKAM , LENSING , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , ABDUL-SAMAD , STUTSMAN , DUNKEL , ANDERSON , THEDE , LUNDBY , KEARNS , RUFF , THOMAS , HALL , OURTH , BEARINGER , WOLFE , KAJTAZOVIC , KRESSIG , WINCKLER , HEDDENS , T. TAYLOR , MASCHER , McCARTHY , GASKILL , HANSON , DAWSON , ISENHART , KOESTER , GRASSLEY , LOFGREN , HEATON , and MURPHY A Resolution honoring United States Senator Thomas 1 Richard “Tom” Harkin for four decades of public 2 service. 3 WHEREAS, Thomas Richard “Tom” Harkin was born in 4 Cumming, Iowa, in 1939, one of six children born to 5 an Iowa coal miner father and a Slovenian immigrant 6 mother; and 7 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin graduated from Dowling 8 High School, Iowa State University, and the Catholic 9 University of America’s Columbus School of Law; and 10 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin served in the United States 11 Navy as an active-duty jet pilot from 1962 to 1967, and 12 went on to serve in the reserves, retiring in 1989 with 13 the rank of lieutenant commander; and 14 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin began his Congressional 15 career in 1974, winning election to the House of 16 Representatives, a seat which he held for the next 17 decade; and 18 WHEREAS, in 1984 Senator Harkin was elected to the 19 -1- LSB 2152HH (7) 85 jr/nh 1/ 3
H.R. 17 Senate, where he has continued his career in public 1 service; and 2 WHEREAS, over four decades Senator Harkin has 3 authored numerous laws that have improved the lives of 4 Iowans and all people of the United States, working 5 tirelessly in service to the young, the impoverished, 6 and the disadvantaged; and 7 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin introduced the Americans 8 with Disabilities Act into the Senate and shepherded 9 the bill into enactment in 1990 —— a bill which could 10 be described as landmark legislation that prohibits 11 discrimination based on disability, requires buildings 12 and transportation to be wheelchair accessible, and 13 requires workplace accommodations for people with 14 disabilities; and 15 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin has worked to protect 16 children throughout his career, including by protecting 17 children from child labor and exploitation such as his 18 recent efforts at exposing child labor conditions in 19 cocoa production; and 20 WHEREAS, as past Chair of the Senate Agriculture 21 Committee, Senator Harkin authored the last two 22 farm bills which advance nutrition and conservation 23 efforts and have aided Iowa in becoming a producer of 24 agricultural products to the world; and 25 WHEREAS, Senator Harkin is the Chair of the Senate 26 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 27 where he has sought improvement of the health, 28 well-being, and financial security of all Iowans and 29 the people of the United States; and 30 -2- LSB 2152HH (7) 85 jr/nh 2/ 3
H.R. 17 WHEREAS, throughout his career, Senator Harkin has 1 enjoyed the dedication and support of his wife, Ruth, 2 and daughters, Amy and Jenny; NOW THEREFORE, 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 4 That the House of Representatives honors United States 5 Senator Thomas Richard “Tom” Harkin for four decades of 6 public service and achievement; and 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That on the announcement of 8 his retirement, the House of Representatives wishes the 9 Senator, his wife, Ruth, and daughters, Amy and Jenny, 10 the best in the years to come. 11 -3- LSB 2152HH (7) 85 jr/nh 3/ 3