Harkin to Chair Senate Education Committee

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, will succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., as chair of the Senate committee that oversees federal student aid programs. Harkin agreed to chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee after Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who was first in line to succeed Kennedy, decided instead to retain his chairmanship of the Senate banking committee.

Harkin said that he would work “to carry on the legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy, who dedicated his life to ensuring that our economy works for all Americans, guaranteeing every child the opportunity to pursue a quality education and, of course, the cause of his life: access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”

Harkin is serving his fifth term in the U.S. Senate, after previously serving 10 years in the U.S. House. He also chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding of medical research, health care and education initiatives.