[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8323-8324]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           LINN COUNTY, IOWA

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

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difference in local communities across my State.
  Today, I would like to give an accounting of my work with leaders and 
residents of Linn 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 Linn County worth over $400 million 
and successfully acquired financial assistance from programs I have 
fought hard to support, which have provided more than $600 million to 
the local economy.
  Of course my favorite memories of working together have to include 
our work together to build a community health center, working to 
rebuild after disastrous flooding in 2008, funding and relocating the 
Cedar Rapids Courthouse, improving the Eastern Iowa Airport, improving 
Edgewood Road, building a major intermodal facility, and funding job 
creating national defense projects at Rockwell Collins, PMX, and 
Intermec.
  Among the highlights:
  Investing in Iowa's economic development through targeted community 
projects: In Eastern 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 Linn 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 Linn 
County, I have fought for $182 million to rebuild the courthouse, $60 
million to improve the Eastern Iowa Airport, $4 million for 
improvements to Edgewood Road, almost $5 million for the Cedar Rapids 
intermodal facility, and $170 million for creating national defense 
projects in Cedar Rapids at Rockwell Collins, PMX, and Intermec, 
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 Central City, Mount Vernon, and Cedar Rapids to use 
that money to leverage other investments to jumpstart change and 
renewal. I am so pleased that Linn County has earned $256,000 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, Linn County has received $11,840,759 in Harkin grants. 
Similarly, schools in Linn County have received funds that I designated 
for Iowa Star Schools for technology totaling $627,432.
  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. 
Linn County has received over $12 billion to remediate and prevent 
widespread destruction from natural disasters.
  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 Linn County 
has recognized this important issue by securing more than $750,000 for 
the community health center and over $284,000 in wellness grants.
  Disability Rights: Growing up, I loved and admired my brother Frank, 
who was deaf, but 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, ADA, 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. Nearly one-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 
Linn County, both those with and without disabilities, and they make us 
proud to be a part of a community and country that respects the worth 
and civil rights of all of our citizens.
  This is at least a partial accounting of my work on behalf of Iowa, 
and specifically Linn 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 Linn 
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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