Nominating Speech:
Senator Harkin's lifetime committment to public service has always been marked by a brave democratic spirit and in-your-face rectitude. He has mastered the intracacies of agriculture policy and possesses a global vision of farming's place in our increasingly fragile world. No one is better connected in the world of agricultural organizations and American farmers themselves than Tom Harkin. In Congress, he has devoted decades to farm issues, grand and mundane, while placing himself at the center of national farm policy debates and discussions. He is fervent, energetic, and a friend of the Earth.

Work to ensure the American people a safe, varied and plentiful food supply;

Put public health and environmental safety above corporate, political or regional interests;

Support family farming and encourage healthy economic development of rural communities;

Work to protect the Commons: public lands, air and water, biodiversity, unpatented seed stock;

Promote humane farming;

Work to avoid hurting poor farmers in poor countries with unfair competition from subsidized US crops.