Harkin, Tom, 1939-

Senator Tom Harkin represented Iowa in the United States Congress for more than four decades. He served Iowa’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and was a U.S. Senator from 1985 to 2015. Sen. Harkin’s legacy policy priorities have included federal farm policy, civil rights for Americans with disabilities, childhood nutrition and food access, healthcare access and reform, labor issues, and access to and improvement of education. He lives in the house where he was born in Cumming, Iowa.

HARKIN, Thomas Richard (Tom), a Senator and a Representative from Iowa; born in Cumming, Warren County, Iowa, November 19, 1939; attended the public schools; graduated, Iowa State University, Ames 1962; graduated, Catholic University of America Law School, Washington, D.C. 1972; admitted to the Iowa bar in 1972 and commenced practice in Des Moines; served in United States Navy 1962-1967, and Naval reserve 1968-1974; attorney for Polk County, Iowa, Legal Aid Society 1973; member, board of directors, Iowa Consumers League; elected in 1974 as a Democrat to the Ninety-fourth Congress; reelected to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1975-January 3, 1985); was not a candidate for reelection in 1984 to the House of Representatives, but was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1984; reelected in 1990, 1996, 2002, and again in 2008, and served from January 3, 1985, to January 3, 2015; chair, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 3-20, 2001; June 6, 2001-January 3, 2003], One Hundred Tenth Congress, and One Hundred Eleventh Congress [January 3, 2009-September 9, 2009]), Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (One Hundred Eleventh [September 9, 2009-January 3, 2011] to One Hundred Thirteenth Congresses); was not a candidate for reelection to the Senate in 2014.

<p>Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 5th congressional district from 1975 to 1985. He is the longest-serving senator to spend his whole tenure as a state's junior senator.</p>

<p>Born in Cumming, Iowa, Harkin graduated from Iowa State University and The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. He served in the United States Navy as an active-duty jet pilot (1962–1967). After serving as a congressional aide for several years, he made two runs for the U.S. House of Representatives, losing in 1972 but winning in 1974. He went on to serve five terms in the House.</p>

<p>Harkin won a race for U.S. Senate in 1984 by a wide margin. He was an early frontrunner for his party's presidential nomination in 1992, but he dropped out in support of eventual winner Bill Clinton. He served five senate terms and at the end of his time in the senate served as chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. He authored the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and was its chief sponsor in the Senate. Harkin delivered part of his introduction speech in sign language, saying it was so his deaf brother could understand.</p>

<p>On January 26, 2013, Harkin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2014.</p>