[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10308-10309]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IOWA

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, the strength of my State of Iowa 
lies in its vibrant local communities, where citizens come together to 
foster economic

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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 Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County worth over $98 
million and successfully acquired financial assistance from programs I 
have fought hard to support, which have provided more than $196 million 
to the local economy.
  Of course, my favorite memories of working together range from 
supporting a wide array of programs at the University of Northern Iowa, 
funding construction of the Avenue of the Saints and US-63, improving 
Waterloo's sewer treatment system, and cleaning up and developing 
blighted brownfield areas to create a tech jobs corridor.
  Among the highlights:
  Investing in Iowa's economic development through targeted community 
projects: In Northeast 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 
Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County, I have fought for over $100 million to construct 
the Avenue of the Saints, $10 million to improve US-63, $35 million to 
improve Waterloo's sewer system, and more than $1.9 million for the 
cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields, 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 
Waterloo and Cedar Falls to use that money to leverage other 
investments to jumpstart change and renewal. I am so pleased that Black 
Hawk County has earned $440,000 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, Black Hawk County has received over $7 million in Harkin grants. 
In addition, since 2001, I have helped to provide more than $80 million 
in Federal funds to the University of Northern Iowa, including support 
for projects such as a transit hub, the National Ag-Based Lubricants 
Center, Project SOAR, and many others.
  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. 
Black Hawk County has received over $22.9 million to remediate and 
prevent widespread destruction from natural disasters.
  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 
the methamphetamine epidemic. Cities in Black Hawk County received over 
$2.3 million in Community Oriented Policing Services and Byrne Justice 
Assistance Grants. Since 2001, Black Hawk County's fire departments 
have received over $1.6 million for firefighter safety and operations 
equipment.
  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 Black Hawk 
County has recognized this important issue by securing more than $4 
million to support the People's Community Health Clinic.
  This is at least a partial accounting of my work on behalf of Iowa, 
and specifically Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk 
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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