[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E243-E244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO THE MILLS CORP.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 8, 2000

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the 
deeds of an organization which has added much to the rich history of 
the State of New Jersey that is being feted today because of its many 
years of service and leadership. It is only fitting that we gather here 
in honor of the Mills Corp. based in Arlington, Virginia to recognize 
its years of commitment and service to people from the State of New 
Jersey and throughout the nation.
  The Mills Corp. is a special company because it trains and hires 
unemployed people who are able and willing to work. This company is one 
of 12,000 businesses nationwide participating in the Welfare to Work 
Partnership begun in 1997. This nonprofit partnership works to help 
people move from welfare to good jobs without encroaching upon any 
current workers. Mills Chairman and CEO Laurence Siegel stated the 
company's objective for this program, ``We need to institute programs 
to assist individuals who live under conditions that typically make 
employment difficult to achieve.''
  In November of 1999 during his ``New Markets Initiative Tour,'' 
President Clinton cited one company as a leader and role model for this 
program, the Mills Corp. He noted that the Mills Corp., a board member 
of the Welfare to Work Partnership, has shown the way for other 
businesses to make this idea work in New Jersey. The Mills Corp. has 
already had success with its Jobs Initiative program in other states. 
Katy Mills, the first of its five Jobs Initiative prototypes, opened in 
Houston, Texas on October 28, 1999. This mall has already hired 200 
employees.
  The Meadowlands Mills Mall, planned for Carlstadt, New Jersey is the 
project where the Mills Corp. has incorporated the Welfare to Work 
program in New Jersey. The company plans to train and hire scores of 
low-income Newark residents to work at the facility. This program is 
patterned after Mills' other initiatives that have been successful 
throughout the nation.
  Additionally, The Mills Corp. remains committed to their new 
employees. This dedication includes a remarkable pre-employment 
training and a career development center at the mall. The center will 
provide retention and career advancement services. In this spirit, the 
President stated, ``The Mills Corporation made a $1 million commitment 
towards pre-employment training and career development center on-site 
at the Meadowlands Mills Mall, which will provide job retention and 
career advancement services for all mall employees,'' during his visit.
  Mills is a company with a long and storied history of community 
involvement. The company funds children's sport teams, public school 
computer labs, health fairs and high school safety programs. In 
addition, Mills has underwritten the development of environmental 
education curriculum in public schools with the Smithsonian Institute.
  The accomplishments of the Mills Corp. and its leadership in the 
Welfare to Work Partnership are contributions to society of the highest 
order. It has made a commitment to the workers and citizens that stand 
to be left behind in

[[Page E244]]

the strongest economy in American history. We should all be proud to 
congratulate the company for this critical investment in humanity.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, the friends and 
employees of this outstanding company and me in recognizing the 
outstanding and invaluable service to the community of the Mills Corp.

                          ____________________