Harkin: Clinton shares my values on social and economic justice

Tom Harkin

We all know Iowans have a sincere responsibility in nominating our next president. This year, that responsibility is as important as it’s ever been.

As Iowans and as a nation we fought back from a terrible recession, but we are making progress. Now it’s time for a president who can create a stronger future. As Democrats, we’re fortunate to have a slate of candidates that are all fine individuals, but we need a fighter who has a record of getting things done and the vision for the future that will build on the progress we’ve made. For my wife, Ruth and I, that candidate is Hillary Clinton.

I have had the privilege of knowing Hillary Clinton for a long time. She and I share many of the same deeply-held beliefs. We believe everyone should be able to find well-paying jobs, that every child should receive the best education possible, that the elderly should be able to retire with dignity and security, and that everyone should have access to quality and affordable healthcare. From ensuring universal access to pre-kindergarten to building a clean-energy economy, a common thread runs through all of these plans — the idea of expanding opportunity.

As a kid, I never could have imagined all the opportunities I would have in my life. I grew up in the small town of Cumming, Iowa, the son of an immigrant mother and a coal-mining father with a sixth-grade education. When my family fell on hard times, my father was hired by the Works Progress Administration. That job gave him dignity and hope. During my 40 years serving Iowa in Congress, I kept my father’s WPA card hanging on the wall in my office to remind me where I came from and who I was fighting for.

Hillary Clinton’s commitment to public service stems from the same values. Her mother, Dorothy, was abandoned by her parents and sent to live with relatives who did not want her. By age 14, she was working to support herself just to get by. Guided by her mother’s experience, Hillary has devoted her career to championing the needs of children. She has been a tireless advocate for women and families since I first met her. As First Lady of the United States she was instrumental in advancing the idea that health care should be a right and not a privilege. As my colleague in the Senate and as Secretary of State, she made women’s rights and economic opportunity central to American foreign policy. Hillary has never forgotten who she is fighting for.

Hillary and I also both know that while talent is universal, opportunity is not. My brother Frank was deaf, and in school he was told that when he grew up he could be one of just three things: a printer, a cobbler, or a baker. Our country has come a long way since that time, but inequality is still lived by kids all across the country, from our inner cities to the small towns of Iowa. Today, too many talented children face limits on their futures. They need a champion in the White House. I know Hillary Clinton will be that champion.

It was over a year ago that I said that though I was retiring from the Senate, I would not be retiring from the fight for social and economic justice. That is why today I am proud to endorse my longtime friend and colleague, Hillary Clinton, in her candidacy for president of the United States. I know that she will keep fighting until the opportunities that seemed like an impossibility to a boy from Cumming, Iowa, can be lived by every child in this country.

SEN. TOM HARKIN retired in December after representing Iowa the U.S. Senate for 30 years. Contact: Senator.Harkin@yahoo.com.