Tom Harkin

Vermont's U.S. Senate delegation today joined several prominent colleagues in introducing legislation aimed at boosting Americans' access to primary healthcare, as well as expanding existing federal healthcare programs.  

The bill, called Access for All Americans Act, is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation seeks to provide all citizens with primary healthcare, tackle a shortage of primary care physicians by encouraging students to enter the healthcare field, and expand a Federally Qualified Health Centers program, which would boost services to low-income and uninsured citizens.  

Congressional candidate Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) received a Progressive Leadership Award from the grassroots organization USAction last night in Washington, D.C.

The organization, dedicated to issues like universal health care and ending the war in Iraq, typically honors three individuals with the award on a yearly basis who, according to their website, are the "indispensable leaders of the progressive movement." Past honorees include U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Tom Harkin (D-IA).

Following a meeting held yesterday with Senators Tom Harkin, Jon Tester, Tom Carper and Ken Salazar, the Rocky Mountain News reports that Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore) is set to attend another, larger gathering of the Senate's undeclared Democratic superdelegates.

The meeting will not take place until Wednesday, implying that Cardin's endorsement will likely not come tonight. Yet Harkin, who allegedly brought the group together, told the paper that he is unsure whether the group will end up voting as a block.

This all may change, as an AP newsflash reports that Hillary Clinton campaign officials say the Senator will acknowledge that Sen. Barack Obama has enough delegates for the nomination during her New York speech tonight.

Two takeaways from today's superdelegate happenings:

1. It looks like House Majority Whip James Clyburn will endorse Barack Obama tomorrow, sans leadership partners Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi -- despite a claim that was attributed to him.

2. Ben Cardin and fellow undeclared Senators Jon Tester, Tom Carper and Ken Salazar were summoned by elder colleague Tom Harkin to the Democrats' D.C. headquarters for a discussion on whether they should endorse or not. Obama won the contests in all of their states. Afterwards, Cardin was quoted at length by CNN.

With major business pending before it, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that Ted Kennedy chairs will need someone to take the reins during his medical absence.

But because it is customary that a senator  chair no more than one committee at a time, The Politico reports that the chairmanship may very well fall to fourth-in-line member, Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

A conference committee on an overhaul of the Higher Education Act is currently postponed, while a bill on electronic medical records is nearing completion.

The second and third majority members of the committee, Senators Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin, chair the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, respectively.