WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa swapped gavels last week, taking over as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and giving up his chairmanship of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
Harkin said he made an agreement with Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who had been running the health committee while its chairman, Sen. Edward Kennedy, battled brain cancer. Kennedy died Aug. 25.
Dodd will continue to “lead the charge” on the health care bill that already has been approved by the committee, Harkin said, but Harkin will be responsible for parts of the legislation covering wellness and prevention efforts.
“The person that will keep it all moving will be Sen. Dodd,” Harkin said. “He should complete that process.”
Harkin cited his ability to make deals with Republicans, as Kennedy was known to do, but he also staked out a strong position for including a public option insurance plan in the pending legislation.
Many Republicans have said a public option would pave the way to a government takeover of health care, which they oppose.
Harkin said that without a public option, the bill would improve the current situation only incrementally and that insurance companies would continue making large profits at the expense of everyday people seeking affordable coverage.
“Public option has to be a part of this bill,” Harkin said after announcing that he was taking over the health committee.
Harkin helped craft two major farm bills while heading the Agriculture Committee, and he has worked tirelessly to protect and expand government support for biofuels, particularly corn-based ethanol.
The Agriculture Committee is known as a place where regional interests can often trump political differences. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., will take over as chairwoman of the committee. The panel’s top Republican, Saxby Chambliss, hails from Georgia.
But Harkin and others downplayed any suggestion that Southern farming interests would now prosper to the detriment of Midwestern interests.
Harkin will remain a member of the Agriculture Committee, of which several other Midwest senators are members. They include Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Ben Nelson, D-Neb. and Mike Johanns, R-Neb.
Harkin also pointed out that the U.S. secretary of agriculture is former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
“Our grain farmers, our oilseed farmers, shouldn’t be too concerned,” Harkin said.
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