Grassley lavishes praise on Harkin in U.S. Senate tribute

DES MOINES — Retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa on Wednesday received an emotional birthday wish and farewell from his colleague in the state and across the aisle.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley on Wednesday appeared to become emotional at the end of his eight-minute speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, where he wished Harkin a happy 75th birthday and thanked him for his 40 years of service in Congress.

'As you start life's next chapter, may you enjoy the blessings of hearth and home, health and happiness,' Grassley said, his voice beginning to crack as he directly addressed Harkin. 'Although Tom is retiring from public office, I'm confident he is not retiring from serving the public interest. From one constituent to another, I thank you for your lifetime of public service, and I wish you good luck and Godspeed.'

Grassley said although he and Harkin disagree on many policies — Grassley is a Republican, Harkin a Democrat — they have always worked together for their home state. Grassley said that is why Iowa voters continually sent both back to the nation's capital for three decades.

Harkin has served Iowa in the U.S. Senate since 1984, Grassley since 1980.

'Although some of our silver-tongued critics over the years may have ascribed Tom's views as those of a bleeding heart liberal or mine mischaracterized as that of a coldhearted conservative, we both, Tom and I, know that our hearts have always been in the right place,' Grassley said. 'For some reason, our respective re-elections every six years have actually confounded political observers. Many couldn't seem to square the notion that Iowans would continue to elect two U.S. senators from opposite sides of the political spectrum for the last three decades. …

'So while we may not see eye to eye on politics and ideology, we do see eye to eye when it came to working for Iowa's best interests.'

Grassley said Harkin leaves the U.S. Senate with a legacy of working for individuals with disabilities. Harkin's signature legislative achievement is the Americans with Disabilities Act.

'To his credit, my colleague's legacy reflects the priorities that he set out to achieve decades ago: to make a difference for those on the down side of advantage,' Grassley said.