[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3715-S3717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DES MOINES COUNTY, IOWA

 Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, the strength of my State of Iowa 
lies in its

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vibrant local communities, where citizens come together to foster 
economic development, make smart investments to expand opportunity, and 
take the initiative to improve the health and well-being of residents. 
Over the decades, I have witnessed the growth and revitalization of so 
many communities across my State, and it has been deeply gratifying to 
see how my work in Congress has supported these local efforts.
  I have always believed in accountability for public officials, and 
this, my final year in the Senate, is an appropriate time to give an 
accounting of my work across four decades representing Iowa in 
Congress. I take pride in accomplishments that have been national in 
scope--for instance, passing the Americans with Disabilities Act and 
spearheading successful farm bills. But I take a very special pride in 
projects that have made a big difference in local communities across my 
State.
  Today, I would like to give an accounting of my work with leaders and 
residents of Des Moines County to build a legacy of a stronger local 
economy, better schools and educational opportunities, and a healthier, 
safer community.
  Between 2001 and 2013, the creative leadership in your community has 
worked with me to secure funding in Des Moines County worth over $45 
million and successfully acquire financial assistance from programs I 
have fought hard to support, which have provided more than $158 million 
to the local economy.
  Of course, my favorite memories of working together include helping 
to get compensation for sick former nuclear workers at the Iowa Army 
Ammunition Plant, improving transportation in the county, and helping 
area residents access to quality, affordable health care by building a 
Community Health Center.
  Investing in Iowa's economic development through targeted community 
projects: In Southeast Iowa, we have worked together to grow the 
economy by making targeted investments in important economic 
development projects including improved roads and bridges, modernized 
sewer and water systems, and better housing options for residents of 
Des Moines County. In many cases, I have secured Federal funding that 
has leveraged local investments and served as a catalyst for a whole 
ripple effect of positive, creative changes. For example, working with 
mayors, city council members, and local economic development officials 
in Des Moines County, I have fought for funding for important 
transportation projects, including $118 million for the Avenue of the 
Saints, more than $45 million for the four-lane highway from Des Moines 
to Burlington, another $45 million to replace the Burlington Northern 
bridge over the Mississippi River, and maintaining Essential Air 
Service funding to the community, helping to create jobs and expand 
economic opportunities.
  Main Street Iowa: One of the greatest challenges we face--in Iowa and 
all across America--is preserving the character and vitality of our 
small towns and rural communities. This isn't just about economics; it 
is also about maintaining our identity as Iowans. Main Street Iowa 
helps preserve Iowa's heart and soul by providing funds to revitalize 
downtown business districts. This program has allowed towns like 
Burlington to use that money to leverage other investments to jumpstart 
change and renewal. I am so pleased that Des Moines County has earned 
$130,000 through this program. These grants build much more than 
buildings; they build up the spirit and morale of people in our small 
towns and local communities.
  School grants: Every child in Iowa deserves to be educated in a 
classroom that is safe, accessible, and modern. That is why, for the 
past decade and a half, I have secured funding for the innovative Iowa 
Demonstration Construction Grant Program--better known among educators 
in Iowa as Harkin grants for public schools construction and 
renovation. Across 15 years, Harkin grants worth more than $132 million 
have helped school districts to fund a range of renovation and repair 
efforts--everything from updating fire safety systems to building new 
schools. In many cases, these Federal dollars have served as the needed 
incentive to leverage local public and private dollars, so it often has 
a tremendous multiplier effect within a school district. Over the 
years, Des Moines County has received $717,400 in Harkin grants. 
Similarly, schools in Des Moines County have received funds that I 
designated for Iowa Star Schools for technology totaling $20,000.
  Disaster mitigation and prevention: In 1993, when historic floods 
ripped through Iowa, it became clear to me that the national emergency 
response infrastructure was woefully inadequate to meet the needs of 
Iowans in flood-ravaged communities. I went to work dramatically 
expanding the Federal Emergency Management Agency's hazard mitigation 
program, which helps communities reduce the loss of life and property 
due to natural disasters and enables mitigation measures to be 
implemented during the immediate recovery period. Disaster relief means 
more than helping people and businesses get back on their feet after a 
disaster, it means doing our best to prevent the same predictable flood 
or other catastrophe from recurring in the future. The hazard 
mitigation program that I helped create in 1993 provided critical 
support to Iowa communities impacted by the devastating floods of 2008. 
Des Moines County has received over $1 million to remediate and prevent 
widespread destruction from natural disasters.
  Iowa Army Ammunitions workers: When a constituent, Bob Anderson, 
wrote me a letter to saying that he was sick with lymphoma and believed 
it was because he had worked at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, which 
manufactured nuclear weapons during the Cold War, I began looking into 
his claims. Even though the Army initially denied these accusations, I 
continued to investigate the situation and discovered that workers 
there were in fact exposed to massive doses of radiation and that this 
wasn't an injustice unique to Iowa. Working to get compensation to Bob 
and thousands of other sick workers throughout the United States 
involved a massive bipartisan legislative and bureaucratic undertaking, 
starting with the passage of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 
Compensation Plan Act of 2000. To date, the Department of Labor has 
paid out over $10 billion in compensation to workers all over the 
United States, including over $239 million to the Burlington workers 
and more than $57 million to a special cohort of workers at the Ames 
Laboratory.
  Keeping Iowa communities safe: I also firmly believe that our first 
responders need to be appropriately trained and equipped, able to 
respond to both local emergencies and to statewide challenges such as, 
for instance, the methamphetamine epidemic. Since 2001, Des Moines 
County's fire departments have received over $1.2 million for 
firefighter safety and operations equipment and more than $499,000 in 
Byrne Justice Assistance Grants.
  Wellness and health care: Improving the health and wellness of all 
Americans has been something I have been passionate about for decades. 
That is why I fought to dramatically increase funding for disease 
prevention, innovative medical research, and a whole range of 
initiatives to improve the health of individuals and families not only 
at the doctor's office but also in our communities, schools, and 
workplaces. I am so proud that Americans have better access to clinical 
preventive services, nutritious food, smoke-free environments, safe 
places to engage in physical activity, and information to make healthy 
decisions for themselves and their families. These efforts not only 
save lives, they will also save money for generations to come thanks to 
the prevention of costly chronic diseases, which account for a whopping 
75 percent of annual health care costs. I am pleased that Des Moines 
County has worked with me to secure $2.9 million for the Community 
Health Center.
  Disability rights: Growing up, I loved and admired my brother Frank, 
who was deaf. However, I was deeply disturbed by the discrimination and 
obstacles he faced every day. That is why I have always been a 
passionate advocate for full equality for people with disabilities. As 
the primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the ADA 
Amendments Act, I have had four guiding goals for our fellow citizens 
with disabilities: equal opportunity, full participation, independent 
living, and economic self-sufficiency.

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Nearly a quarter century since passage of the ADA, I see remarkable 
changes in communities everywhere I go in Iowa--not just in curb cuts 
or closed captioned television but in the full participation of people 
with disabilities in our society and economy, folks who at long last 
have the opportunity to contribute their talents and to be fully 
included. These changes have increased economic opportunities for all 
citizens of Des Moines County, both those with and without 
disabilities.
  This is at least a partial accounting of my work on behalf of Iowa, 
and specifically Des Moines County, during my time in Congress. In 
every case, this work has been about partnerships, cooperation, and 
empowering folks at the State and local level, including in Des Moines 
County, to fulfill their own dreams and initiatives. And, of course, 
this work is never complete. Even after I retire from the Senate, I 
have no intention of retiring from the fight for a better, fairer, 
richer Iowa. I will always be profoundly grateful for the opportunity 
to serve the people of Iowa as their Senator.

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