Harkin's Rise Gives Labor a Boost

The ascension of Tom Harkin, Democrat from Iowa, to the chairmanship of the Senate Heath, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee was somewhat of a surprise. Most Hill watchers expected Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who served as interim chair during Sen. Ted Kennedy’s illness, to continue in that capacity; especially since health reform legislation is at such a critical stage in the Congress. But Dodd chose to stay at Banking, giving Harkin a chance to put his priorities on the front burner.

Harkin, with blue-collar roots as the son of a coal miner, is cut from the same liberal cloth as Kennedy, firmly believing in the role of government to help those in need. One of his biggest legislative achievements was passage of the American with Disabilities Act.