[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H6104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DISPLACED WORKERS RELIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, we have all been affected by the tragedies 
of September 11 in one way or the other. As a Nation, we see things in 
a new way. We are looking through a veil of shock, of anger, and of 
grief.
  Congress has already moved with breathtaking swiftness to approve $15 
billion for an airline bailout, a bill, by the way, that allows the top 
executives in the airline industry to keep their current salaries while 
their companies receive huge Federal payments, and while their workers 
are losing their jobs.
  But so far, when it comes to the airline workers, Congress just 
cannot seem to find time to help. But one thing has not changed: This 
Congress is still overlooking the needs of American workers.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 100,000 airline employees have already been 
laid off as a result of the terrorist attacks. It is clear that in the 
coming weeks, the number of layoffs will increase. Yet, no action has 
been taken to help workers in the airline industry.
  Mr. Speaker, it is disgraceful that we have done nothing to help the 
pilots, the flight attendants, baggage handlers, and the other 
employees who have lost their jobs as a result of September 11. It is 
certain that many of these workers will depend on unemployment benefits 
for longer than usual. Some will not be able to return to their jobs in 
the airline industry and will need training to qualify for new jobs. 
Displaced workers and their families will also need health care 
coverage while they are getting their lives back to normal.
  That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2955, the Displaced 
Workers' Assistance Act. This legislation provides meaningful 
assistance to those workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the 
terrorist attacks on September 11.
  The Displaced Workers Assistance Act makes displaced workers eligible 
for an additional 52 weeks of unemployment insurance, and displaced 
workers who normally would not be eligible for unemployment insurance 
would receive 26 weeks of federally-financed payments. Those workers 
who cannot reasonably expect to return to their jobs within the airline 
industry would be eligible for retraining.
  Finally, H.R. 2955 would ensure that displaced workers and their 
families have health insurance by reimbursing the cost of their COBRA 
payments, or for workers who do not qualify for COBRA, it would cover 
them under Medicaid.
  Just as the airlines need our help because of the tragic events of 
September 11, so do the airline workers, those who find themselves 
without jobs, without the skills they need to obtain new jobs, and 
without health insurance for themselves and their families. These are 
the very people that made the airline industry successful in the first 
place.
  We have used their skills, we have used their dedication, and now we 
need to make sure that they are safe, as well as the airlines. As we 
help the industry overcome its losses as a result of the September 11 
attacks, let us not forget the airline workers.

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