Tom Harkin

Thomas Richard Harkin born November 19 1939 is an American lawyer author and politician who served as a United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015 A member of the Democratic Party he previously was the US representative for Iowas 5th congressional district from 1975 to 1985 He is the longestserving senator to spend the entire tenure as a states junior senator Born in Cumming Iowa Harkin graduated from Iowa State University and The Catholic University of Americas Columbus School of Law He served in the United States Navy as an activeduty jet pilot 19621967 After serving as a congressional aide for several years he made two runs for the US House of Representatives losing in 1972 but winning in 1974 He went on to serve five terms in the House Harkin won a race for US Senate in 1984 by a wide margin He was an early frontrunner for his partys presidential nomination in 1992 but he dropped out in support of eventual winner Bill Clinton He served five Senate terms and at the end of his time in the Senate served as chair of the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions He authored the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and was its chief sponsor in the Senate Harkin delivered part of his introduction speech in sign language saying it was so his deaf brother could understand On January 26 2013 Harkin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2014