Former U.S. Senator

Tom HarkinNo longer serving

Iowa113th Congress Official portrait of Tom Harkin
Bills introduced
369

As sponsor, from the 107th Congress

Became law
16

Of the bills they introduced

Cosponsored
1,657

Signed on to someone else's bill

Recorded votes
2,256

Roll calls tied to a bill

Floor speeches
1,905

In the Congressional Record, from 2001

369 bills introduced

Across 7 Congresses, most in the 110th at 68. In the 113th, 60 — 28 more than the median senator, who filed 32. Volume is not influence: the great majority of bills, from every member, never get a vote.

Bills introduced, against the typical senator 107th to 113th

median for the chamber, that Congress

Biography

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.

Focus

Drawn from the 369 bills this member introduced: the subjects the record assigns them, and the members who most often sign on.

Subjects

Bills carry several subjects each, so these add up to more than 369.

Most frequent cosponsors

Times each has cosponsored a bill this member introduced.

Record

Every recorded vote, bill and floor speech, newest first.

Recorded votes tied to a bill, including procedural motions on it such as cloture. Votes on nominations are not listed.

BillQuestionVotedDate
S 652On Passage of the Bill S. 652YeaJun 15, 1995
S 652On the Cloture Motion S. 652YeaJun 14, 1995
S 652On the Motion for Attendance S. 652YeaJun 9, 1995
S 735On Passage of the Bill S. 735YeaJun 7, 1995
HCONRES 67On the Concurrent Resolution H.Con.Res. 67NayMay 25, 1995
SCONRES 13On the Motion to Recommit S.Con.Res. 13YeaMay 25, 1995
HR 1158On the Conference Report H.R. 1158NayMay 25, 1995
SRES 120On the Resolution S.Res. 120YeaMay 17, 1995

Committees

Current committees first, each with its role and years, and the subcommittees held now beneath it. Full history opens every role with its date and official record, and earlier subcommittee seats.

Earlier committees

Full history
CommitteeRoleServedRecord
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry CommitteeMemberSep 9, 2009 to Jan 3, 2015S.Res. 257 · End of the 113th Congress
ChairJan 12, 2007 to Sep 9, 2009S.Res. 27 · S.Res. 257
Ranking MemberJan 15, 2003 to Jan 3, 2007S.Res. 20 · End of the 109th Congress
ChairJul 10, 2001 to Jan 3, 2003Congressional Record, S7417 · End of the 107th Congress
MemberJan 25, 2001 to Jul 10, 2001Congressional Record, S558 · Congressional Record, S7417
Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy InnovationMemberListed Oct 2011 to May 2014Congressional Directory, Dec 2011
Commodities, Markets, Trade and Risk ManagementMemberListed Feb 2014 to Feb 2014Congressional Directory, Feb 2014
Conservation, Forestry, and Natural ResourcesMemberListed Oct 2011 to Feb 2014Congressional Directory, Dec 2011
Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural ResearchMemberListed Oct 2011 to Feb 2014Congressional Directory, Dec 2011
Appropriations CommitteeMember2001–2015
Full history
CommitteeRoleServedRecord
Appropriations CommitteeMemberJan 25, 2001 to Jan 3, 2015Congressional Record, S558 · End of the 113th Congress
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related AgenciesChairListed Feb 2001 to Apr 2014Hearing, Feb 2001
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesMemberListed Mar 2011 to Mar 2014Hearing, Mar 2011
State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsMemberListed Mar 2005 to Mar 2014Congressional Directory, Sep 2006
DefenseMemberListed Feb 2001 to Feb 2014Hearing, Feb 2001
Energy and Water DevelopmentMemberListed Oct 2009 to Feb 2014Congressional Directory, Dec 2009
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related AgenciesMemberListed Feb 2007 to Feb 2014Hearing, Feb 2007
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesMemberListed Apr 2001 to Apr 2008Hearing, Apr 2001
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesMemberListed Feb 2005 to Mar 2008Hearing, Feb 2005
Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related AgenciesMemberListed Mar 2005 to Mar 2006Hearing, Mar 2005
Foreign OperationsMemberListed May 2001 to Apr 2004Hearing, May 2001
VA, HUD, and Independent AgenciesMemberListed Apr 2001 to Feb 2004Hearing, Apr 2001
Department of Homeland SecurityMemberListed Apr 2003 to Feb 2004Hearing, Apr 2003
Labor, Health and Human Services, and EducationMemberListed Sep 2001 to Jun 2003Congressional Directory, Oct 2002
Energy and Water DevelopmentMemberListed Sep 2001 to Mar 2002Congressional Directory, Oct 2002
Full history
CommitteeRoleServedRecord
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions CommitteeChairSep 9, 2009 to Jan 3, 2015S.Res. 257 · End of the 113th Congress
MemberJan 25, 2001 to Sep 9, 2009Congressional Record, S558 · S.Res. 257
Primary Health and AgingEx OfficioListed Nov 2014 to Nov 2014Hearing, Nov 2014
Children and FamiliesEx OfficioListed Jun 2011 to Jul 2014Hearing, Jun 2011
Employment and Workplace SafetyEx OfficioListed Apr 2014 to Jul 2014Hearing, Apr 2014
Primary Health and AgingEx OfficioListed May 2012 to Apr 2014Hearing, May 2012
Employment and Workplace SafetyEx OfficioListed Mar 2005 to Nov 2013Congressional Directory, Sep 2006
Primary Health and AgingEx OfficioListed May 2011 to Sep 2011Hearing, May 2011
Retirement and AgingMemberListed Mar 2007 to Sep 2007Hearing, Mar 2007
Bioterrorism and Public Health PreparednessMemberListed Feb 2005 to Sep 2006Hearing, Feb 2005
Education and Early Childhood DevelopmentMemberListed Mar 2005 to Jul 2006Congressional Directory, Sep 2006
Children and FamiliesMemberListed Jun 2003 to Jul 2004Hearing, Jun 2003
Employment, Safety, and TrainingMemberListed Sep 2001 to Mar 2004Congressional Directory, Oct 2002
Public HealthMemberListed Sep 2001 to Oct 2002Congressional Directory, Oct 2002

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Party, state and chamber are those of this member's most recent term. Bills and cosponsorships are held from the 107th Congress onwards and recorded votes from the 101st, so a member who served before those points will show fewer than they filed, or none. Committee service is held from the 107th Congress onwards, dated from the House and Senate resolutions and Congressional Record notices that seat and remove members. Subcommittee assignments are made inside each committee and carry no official date, so a subcommittee seat is shown from the first to the last printed hearing, Congressional Directory edition or official roster that lists the member. Vote counts cover roll calls tied to a bill; the chambers also vote on procedure and nominations, which are not listed here. Office, telephone and website are not shown for a member who has left, because the ones on file were theirs while serving. Records come from Congress.gov and the Biographical Directory of Congress.