AERONA1 riCS AND rRANSPORTATION 795 



reformers swept into Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandals 

 in 1974. After his graduation from Iowa State University, he received 

 a law degree at Catholic University of America, and worked also on 

 the congressional staff of Representative Neal Smith (Democrat of 

 Iowa). 



The huge 25-county Fifth Congressional District, comprising the 

 southwest corner of Iowa, runs from close to Des Moines westward 

 to the Missouri River and has usually supported conservative Repub- 

 licans. Big, plodding, friendly Republican Congressman William 

 Scherle, Jr. seemed to mirror the politically conservative beliefs of 

 the district until Harkin started organizing the university students at 

 Ames, giving Iowa a taste of a new brand of politics. Harkin set 

 aside one day a week during which he worked at menial jobs all over 

 the vast district, washing dishes, repairing railroad tracks, baling 

 hay, changing diapers, and proving to the people that he understood 

 their daily lives, their problems, hopes and dreams. This form of 

 campaigning produced some excellent free television programs, and 

 struck a responsive chord among the openminded voters who had 

 elected Scherle over Harkin in 1972, but gave Harkin a 51 percent 

 victory in 1974. By 1976, Harkin had built such a strong personal 

 popularity that he was able to roll up 66 percent of the vote against 

 Republican Kenneth Fulk, the well-known manager of the Iowa 

 State Fair, thereby placing the seat in the "safe" category. 



Harkin is one of the most articulate and incisive debaters in 

 Congress, with a wide range of interests. He has served on the board 

 of directors of the Iowa Consumers League and SANE (Citizens for a 

 Sane Nuclear Policy). On the committee, he has fought effectively 

 against overdependence on breeder reactors and in favor of light 

 water nuclear reactors. He is a powerful advocate of solar and geother- 

 mal energy, conservation, and nuclear fusion development. With a 

 broad and sensitive interest in international affairs, Harkin has also 

 taken the lead in human rights legislation and support for struggles 

 by all peoples to win self-determination. 



At the beginning of 1979, the Harkin subcommittee included the 

 following: 



Democrats Republicans 



Tom Harkin, Iowa, Chairman Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., California 



Jim Lloyd, California Robert K. Dornan, California 



Doug Walgren, Pennsylvania Larry Winn, Jr., Kansas ' 



Dan Glickman, Kansas Bill Royer, California ' 

 Nicholas Mavroules, Massachusetts 

 Harold L. Volkmer, Missouri 



1 Winn was replaced by Roycr 



